


Victims of the Hunt

by TMNT_Raph_fan



Series: TMNT 2012: Alternate Earth Stories [2]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-03-17
Packaged: 2018-03-15 13:37:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3449135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TMNT_Raph_fan/pseuds/TMNT_Raph_fan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events involving the worms from Dimension X the turtle brothers have restarted their collection of missing mutagen canisters. But once again their efforts to reclaim the dangerous, alien liquid have been interrupted by an even greater threat. A monster hunter decides to find prey in the city, getting close to the mutant family’s lair. After being forced to find shelter elsewhere it’s up to the turtles, April, Casey and their new found friends to send the hunter packing before they become Victims of the Hunt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Contains TMNT/Marvel crossover OCs and references to the Fantastic Four.

“What is that?” Raph asked, as he entered his brother’s lab. There were beakers and machine parts everywhere. Raph had to walk carefully to avoid stepping on anything that might be important. Don was currently working on a strange-looking metal sphere that had wires protruding from every crevice. It was also the object Raph had aimed his question at when he walked in.  
  
“It’s not finished yet,” Don began to explain, “But when it is, it’s going to help me impress April.”  
“Really? You’re still trying to get her to fall in love with you?” Raph asked him, rolling his eyes, “You do realize  _Casey_  has a better shot than you, right?”  
Donnie’s shoulders sank, along with his spirit, but he shot his brother a glare in an attempt to hide his hurt feelings.  
“Is there something else you wanted, Raph?” Don asked him, with an edge in his tone, “Other than insulting me.”  
“Casey and April are coming over to watch a movie,” Raph replied, “They’ll be here soon.” He turned and left Don’s lab. Don turned back to his device and stared at it for a time. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but Raph was probably right. Now that Casey was in the picture, Don’s chances at winning over April, slim as they were before, have diminished significantly. Don looked up as he heard April and Casey enter the lair and greet his brothers. He walked out to greet them as well.  
  
“Hey, April!” he greeted, a bit too enthusiastically and quickly regretted it.  
“Hey, Donnie,” April returned, not seeming to notice Don’s blunder, or perhaps, being used to it by now, didn’t think it needed to have attention drawn to it. Don smiled, but quickly shot Raph another glare when he saw his brother roll his eyes.  
“What movie are we watching?” Don asked, bringing his attention back to April, and taking a seat on the couch beside her.  
“I brought  _Frigid_ , the movie that’s been getting all the hype lately,” April told him, “And Casey brought  _Bionic Officer_.” She sounded a bit irritated at Casey’s choice.  
“ _Bionic Officer_?” Raph asked, clearly interested in Casey’s movie.  
“Yeah! It’s about this police officer who gets blown up by the mop, so these science guys have to put him back together as part man, part machine,” Casey explained excitedly.  
“Cyborg,” Donnie specified.  
Casey looked over at him, “What?”  
“They put him back together as a ‘cyborg’. That’s the correct terminology.”  
Casey gave him a look of irritation, “Jeez, lighten up why don’chya?”  
“It’s important to be accurate,” Don shot back.  
“Whatever, Donnie,” Raph interrupted, “it sounds cool. My vote is  _Bionic Officer_.”  
“Same,” Leo agree.  
“Me too!” Mikey cheered.  
“But what about  _Frigid_?” April complained.  
“What’s it about?” Donnie asked, trying to cheer her up, but secretly wanting to watch Casey’s movie as well.  
“Doesn’t matter,” Raph barked, “It’s already four against two.”  
“Raph does have a point,” Leo said, a little surprised that he and Raph were in agreement, “Despite being rudely stated, the majority does rule.”  
Raph shot Leo a frown at being called rude, but said nothing in protest. Donnie opened his mouth to say something about giving April’s movie a chance, but April intervened before he could.  
“It’s alright, Donnie. We’ll just watch  _Bionic Officer_.” She placed her movie back in her bag, as Mikey got up and turned on the TV. As he went back to get the movie from Casey, the television began playing a news channel.  
“The Fantastic Four are expanding their family,” Carlos Chiang O’Brien Gambe, the news reporter, chimed. An image of the Baxter Building, the current residence of the four heroes, slid into view.  
“The Fantastic Four?” Leo asked, “Who’s that?”  
“You kiddin’ me?” Casey gawked, “They’re New York City super heroes!”  
“Heroes?” Leo repeated, looking excited.  
Casey continued, “Yeah. Bigger than ordinary celebrities. How have you not heard of them?”  
“Well, in case you didn’t know, we have been living in the sewers for the past 15 years,” Raph told him, with sarcasm evident in his tone.  
“You got TV. They’re on the news all the time,” Casey retorted.  
“We don’t really watch a whole lot of the news,” Don explained, “Guess we just keep missing those reports.”  
“Until now, D,” Mikey chimed in, pointing to the TV.  
  
April looked over at the screen and saw an image of two teens that looked quite familiar. The teens were unmistakably brother and sister, with matching chestnut hair and deep green eyes. The girl had her hair done up in two pig tails, with bangs that fell just slightly over her eyebrows and two long hair strands that sat gently on each side of her face. Her gentle eyes showed sadness and her thin lips curved slightly downward in agreement. Her eyebrows were thin and shaped nicely, as they sat straight lined above her eyes. Her brother had many of the same features and shared his sister’s unhappy demeanour. However, his hair was a lot messier and a little on the shaggy side, and his eyebrows were thick and drooping in sadness.  
  
“Casey, look!” April called, grabbing his arm to get his attention, “It’s the Grimm twins from school!”  
Everyone turned to watch the TV.  
“Grimm twins?” Mikey questioned, looking a bit worried.  
“Grimm is just their last name, Mikey. They go to our school,” April clarified.  
“Wonder why they’re on the news,” Casey added.  
The news caster continued his story, “With the recent passing of their grandfather, Kaitlyn and Kristopher Grimm have been adopted into the Fantastic Four by their Uncle, Ben Grimm, also known as the Thing.” Pictures of the heroes slid on screen, with Ben Grimm’s photo being the largest.  
“No way!” Casey cried out as the others gawked at the television, all for different reasons, “I didn’t know they were related to one of the four!”  
“Casey! They just lost their grandfather,” April reminded him, “they must be heartbroken.”  
“Dudes! Look at that guy!” Mikey exclaimed, pointing to the photo of Ben Grimm.  
“Did he get mutated?” Don asked.  
“No,” April answered. “I mean, not really. The four of them were astronauts who got exposed to cosmic rays while in space. As a result they all got powers, but because Ben Grimm got the most exposure to the energy, he ended up with a rock-like exterior.”  
“But he’s still famous?” Mikey asked, “Why can’t we be famous then?”  
“Because a ninja cannot be a ninja with the public eye focused on them,” Master Splinter told them as he walked into the room.  
Raph rolled his eyes and let out an irritated groan, “Can we just put the movie on already?” He snatched the video from Casey, went over to the DVD player and angrily inserted the disk. He turned the dial on the TV, changing the channel and cutting off the news bulletin. He stomped back to the couch and returned himself to his seat beside Casey. The others watched him with expressions ranging from puzzlement to slight irritation at his temper.  
“Alright then,” Don muttered, raising the remote to start playing the movie. Everyone took a seat on the couch, aside from Master Splinter, who returned to his room. The six friends remained quiet as the trailers began to play, but halfway through the third one, the questions could no longer be held back.  
“How did the cosmic rays change their DNA exactly?” Don asked.  
“What kind of adventures do they have?” Leo questioned.  
“What are the rest of their super hero names?” Mikey wondered.  
“Who cares!” Raph bellowed, “We’ve probably done just as much as they have. And without stupid powers. So just shut up, and watch the movie.”  
“Are you jealous that they can go out in public and get recognition for what they do?” Casey asked the red banded turtle with a sly smile. Raph said nothing and gave Casey a menacing glare. No one brought up the Fantastic Four for the rest of the evening.


	2. New Friends

Kaitlyn Grimm walked down the hall of her school. Her last class before lunch had just finished and she was heading to her locker to drop off her books so she could grab something to eat. She got to her locker with the same mournful expression residing on her face since her grandfather had passed away nearly a week ago.  
“Kaitlyn?”  
She heard someone to her right and closed her locker to reveal a red headed girl with a pony tail and a yellow shirt.  
“Um, hi,” The girl said, brushing back some hair and giving a small wave, “I’m April.”  
“If this is about getting autographs from the Fantastic Four, you’ll be about the twentieth person I deny today,” Kaitlyn told her flatly, and began heading towards the cafeteria. April jogged after her, moving to her left side.  
“No, that’s not it,” she stammered, “I heard about your grandfather on the news last week and I just wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.”  
The two girls stopped walking. Kaitlyn turned to April with a look of confusion.  
“Thank you,” She told her, once the confusion subsided. “You’re the first from school to say that.”  
April smiled, “Wanna eat lunch with me and a few friends? Your brother is welcome to join, too.”  
“Sure. I was heading there anyway,” Kaitlyn agreed with a slight smile, the first sign of happiness she’d shown in nearly a week. The two girls walked to the cafeteria, picking up Kaitlyn’s brother on the way. When they got there, April introduced the twins to Casey and Irma.  
“Sup,” Casey greeted, giving Kris a fist bump.  
“Pleasure to meet you,” Said Irma, fidgeting with her glasses. The three new arrivals took a seat at the table and the five teens ate their lunch as a new bond of friendship began to set.  
  
~*~  
  
April, Casey, Irma and the twins walked down the city street towards Murakami’s restaurant. A discussion over lunch had mentioned his famous pizza gyoza and peaked Kaitlyn’s interest. Kris was more sceptical, saying he never liked sushi. But the others informed him that it was simply pizza dumplings and no raw fish was involved. He agreed to tag along, but still wasn’t sure about tasting the new food. The teens entered the shop, greeted their blind elder and introduced him to the twins.  
“They’d like to try the pizza gyoza, so one order to start,” April told the chef.  
“Coming right up,” Mr. Murakami announced with a smile. The twins watched in amazement as he worked.  
“Reminds me of our Uncle’s girlfriend, Alicia,” Kaitlyn spoke up, “She’s a blind sculptor.”  
“You know a blind sculptor?” Casey asked as Murakami placed the gyoza in front of the twins.  
“Yeah, she’s amazing,” Kaitlyn replied.  
“Us blind folk are never as helpless as most people think,” Murakami informed them.  
“Never thought they were,” Kaitlyn said with a smile.  
Murakami let out a light, cheerful laugh, “I like you.”  
April smiled, “Time to try the gyoza.”  
The twins picked up their set of chopsticks. Kris struggled at first, but managed to mostly get a good hold of them. They each picked up a dumpling. Kaitlyn popped it in her mouth immediately as Kris hovered his in front of his lips for a few seconds longer before doing the same. Their eyes lit up as the flavour washed over their taste buds.  
“That is incredible!” Kris burst, sliding the rest towards himself and scarfing them down. Kaitlyn gave him a teasing smile while placing her hand on her hip.  
“Shut up,” Kris said as he playfully nudged her shoulder. The other three teens laughed at the siblings interactions.  
“Four more orders, please,” April requested. Murakami nodded and turned back to his work station. The teens began a discussion while they waited, and continued it as the food arrived and they started eating. They talked about hobbies and movies they’d seen recently. The Fantastic Four topic, however, was purposefully avoided to prevent the twins from thinking they were being used for their celebrity family, which honestly wasn’t the case. They talked for a little over an hour and ate several orders of pizza gyoza, but finally it was time to call it a night. They said goodbye to Murakami and left the restaurant. The twins carried their doggie bags to share with the rest of their family, and headed home, but not before informing their new friends they’d see them tomorrow. Irma went her separate way as well after giving a similar farewell as the twins. With everyone else going home, April and Casey were able to sneak off to their second set of friends.  
  
“Hey, guys!” April called out as they entered the turtles’ lair.  
“Where were you?” Mikey whined, “We got you pizza and now it’s cold.”  
“Don’t you mean gone?” Raph corrected, “Because you ate it all. We barely got any ourselves.”  
“Sorry, Mikey,” April offered. “We went out for pizza gyoza with Irma and the Grimm twins.”  
“Who are totally awesome,” Casey added, “The twins, I mean. Irma’s still weird.”  
“Wait, you mean those kids from the news?” Raph asked.  
“Yeah. I wanted to give them my condolences about their grandfather and then offer to eat lunch with us at school,” April explained.  
“One thing led to another,” Casey finished.  
“So, when do we get to meet ‘em?” Mikey wondered.  
“We don’t, Mikey,” Raph growled. “We’re lucky to have Casey and April as friends.”  
“Awww,” Casey cooed, flopping over the back of the couch next to Raph. “I didn’t know you felt that way.”  
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Raph said, giving Casey a firm but friendly shove. April moved towards the couch.  
“You could try being friends with her online,” she suggested.  
“Because that worked so well with Bradford,” Raph said sarcastically.  
“It won’t be anything like that,” April told him, placing her hands on her hips.  
“Yeah!” Mikey cheered. “She lives with super heroes! She won’t try to kill me!” He leapt up enthusiastically. “Donnie! Let me borrow your computer!” he called out as he ran towards his brother’s lab. They heard Donnie mutter something in response, but couldn’t make out the words. A few moments later Mikey returned with Don’s laptop in hand. He threw himself onto the couch beside April and opened up the computer; wasting no time getting to the social network site. He typed her name into the search engine as Raph rolled his eyes and picked up one of his magazines.  
“The only person coming up is ‘ _Kitkat_  Grimm’,” Mikey whined. April leaned over to see the profile’s image.  
“That’s her,” April confirmed. “That must be a nickname she uses.”  
“Cool! Candy as a nickname!” Mikey cheered. He clicked on the ‘add friend’ button and typed a quick message:  
  
     _Hey, I’m a friend of April’s. Heard about your Grandfather on the news. Sorry for your loss._  
  
He hit ‘send friend request’ and waited.  
“You realize she’s probably gotten lots of requests since being on the news,” Raph told him. “She’ll most likely ignore them all because she knows they just want to get to the Fantastic Four.”  
“That’s why I said I knew April,” Mikey said proudly.  
“What?” Raph and April cried in unison.  
“Mikey, that may not have been the best plan,” April continued.  
“No kidding,” Raph added.  
“She may start asking me questions about you that I can’t answer, for obvious reasons,” she explained. Then her T-phone began to ring. “Kaitlyn sent me a text,” April announced after taking her phone out.  
“And so it starts. Nice job, genius,” Raph scolded his brother.  
“Just got a friend request from a Mikey Hamato. Says he knows you. That true?” April read. She looked at Mikey who looked back with pleading eyes. If she said no, then Kaitlyn would most definitely deny Mikey’s request, but if she said yes, then they could run into some problems later on. April let out a sigh and replied to her friend’s text. A few short moments later Mikey heard a ding come from the lap top.  
“She accepted!” Mikey thrust his arms in the air, then quickly wrapped them around April in a hug. “Thanks, April!”  
“We just need to get our stories straight,” April told him. “Like how I know you and why we’re not seen hanging out.”  
“This won’t end badly,” Raph muttered with an eye roll.  
“You could say you’re pen pals,” Casey suggested.  
“That’s a really good idea, Casey,” April congratulated.  
“I know,” Casey smirked.  
  
For the next several months, Mikey and Kaitlyn talked online. And at first, as they had expected, Kaitlyn had asked a few questions. But by using the pen pal ruse, April was able to answer them without drawing any suspicion. Shortly after, the questions ceased and instead the girls talked about the interesting stories their shared “pen pal” told them.  
“Did you hear about Mikey’s newest ‘adventure’?” Kaitlyn asked April, using finger quotes on the last word. Kaitlyn, April and Kris were walking to school, and had yet to meet up with Casey and Irma.  
“The one with the giant alien worms? Yeah,” April replied with a giggle.  
“Sounds like he has one heck of an imagination,” Kris commented. “Or maybe a mental problem.” Kaitlyn elbowed her brother and he let out a small cry of pain.  
“I think he’s gonna end up becoming a famous writer,” Kaitlyn said. “But it’s interesting; he mentioned those earthquakes we had recently. Said they were caused by the worm.”  
April got a little tense, but the twins didn’t notice.  
“I wouldn’t think a few minor earthquakes in New York would get a lot of news coverage in Calefornia,” Kaitlyn continued, reminding April where Mikey was pretending to be from while online. “I wonder how he heard about them.”  
“I told him,” April covered. “He must have added that bit to the story as a joke, or a way to make it more involved or something. I heard that’s a popular writing method.”  
“Oh, cool,” Kaitlyn said. April let out the breath she was holding, thankful another close call had been avoided. She would have to talk to Mikey about his story telling.  
  
~*~  
  
“You’re doing what!?” Raph bellowed after he heard from April what Mikey had been sharing with his “pen pal”. “Have you lost your mind!?”  
“What! There’s no harm!” Mikey fought back. “She thinks they’re just stories. She says I should write a book.”  
“Except they’re not stories, Mikey,” April told him.  
“April’s right,” Don agreed. “If you share that kind of info online, you could be putting us  _and_  Kaitlyn in danger. Especially if you mention parts that the entire city is aware of.”  
“Not to mention she’ll get suspicious about where you  _actually_  live,” Raph added.  
“We’re not saying you should stop talking to her, Mikey,” April told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and hearing a softly grumbled “I am” come from Raph, “Just tone down on the stories, okay?”  
“Then what do I talk about?” Mikey asked.  
“There’s lots you can talk about,” April said. “Your interests, your hobbies, your cooking. Even your family.”  
“No! Don’t involve me in this!” Raph protested.  
“Yeah, maybe not that last one,” Donnie suggested. “If Karai or anyone else working for the Shredder hears her talking about us, they would use her against us.” Raph released a gruff breath and stormed off, upset that this was still being discussed when the simplest solution would be to end all this “pen pal” nonsense. April brought back Mikey’s attention by gently squeezing his shoulder, “Just promise me no more stories about your adventures, okay Mikey?”  
“Okay,” Mikey agreed with a heavy sigh.


	3. Monsters and Hunters

A large, black van with strange instruments covering the exterior rode through the city streets. Letters “MH” could be seen on the sides.  
“This is it, Parker,” the woman driving told the man riding in the passenger side. “The chance we’ve been waiting for.”  
“Sure thing, boss,” Parker agreed. “But what exactly are we looking for here?”  
“Come on, Parker. What’s the name of my show?” She asked him, sounding irritated.  
“Monster Hunter,” Parker said with a sigh.  
“Exactly! And that is what we’re looking for.”  
“but in New York city?”  
“Strange reports of creature sightings have recently been building up here,” She told him.  
“Last time we came here, you mistook that rock hero, Ben Grimm, for a monster,” Parker reminded her. “We got in a lot of trouble for trying to hunt him.”  
“Honest mistake!” She cried out in defense. “Not my fault that man has a very monstrous form.”  
“All I’m sayin’ is we don’t want something like that happenin’ again.”  
“And it won’t, Parker! This time I’m certain. There are monsters in New York and I, Dr Abigail Finn, am going to hunt them!”  
Parker let out another sigh as the truck drove on, looking for a spot to stop for the night, “Sure thing, boss.”  
  
~*~  
  
The Next Morning  
  
Kaitlyn and Kris were getting ready for school. They were fighting for use of the bathroom sink, when the doorbell rang.  
“Kitkat, would you mind getting that, please?” Ben Grimm called from the kitchen.  
“Sure, Uncle Ben!” Kaitlyn called back as she walked out of the bathroom and towards the front door. When she opened it, she saw a large figure being hidden by an equally large arrangement of flowers.  
“Uh, may I help you?” Kaitlyn asked, with a hint of suspicion.  
“That would be phenomenal!” The figure cheered, shifting the flowers to one side. Kaitlyn let out a gasp when she saw who it was.  
“Abigail Finn?” She said angrily. “Why are you here? Were we not clear last time? My Uncle is not a monster!”  
“Yes, yes. Terribly sorry about that misunderstanding,” Abigail said as she offered the flowers. Kaitlyn glared at them, and then at the monster hunter.  
“I realize I acted too hasty then,” Abigail continued. “And I was hoping you and the four could help me not make the same mistake.”  
“What? You’re still monster hunting?”  
“Of course! They’re out there to be hunted!” Abigail cried excitedly as she threw out her hands in joy, sending the flowers flying.  
“No! They’re not! There are no monsters in this city, or any city! And we refuse to help psycho  _Doctors_  who believe there are!” Kaitlyn bellowed before closing the door and locking Abigail out. Kaitlyn walked over to the flowers that had been tossed aside and picked them up. “Hey Johnny!” She called, walking towards the kitchen. “I got a bunch of flowers you can burn!”  
  
~*~  
  
“Are you okay?” April asked Kaitlyn as they met up to walk to school together. “And where’s Kris?”  
“He’s running late. Said he’ll catch up later,” Kaitlyn informed her.  
“Casey said the same. So just us girls this morning,” April said. “Now, what’s on your mind?”  
“Abigail Finn paid a visit just before you got here,” Kaitlyn told her.  
“Who?” April asked.  
“This crazy monster hunting Doctor who tried to  _hunt_  my Uncle almost a year ago.”  
April twitched at the term ‘monster hunting’.  
“She offered flowers as an apology,” Kaitlyn continued. “But all she wants is our help. She thinks there are monsters in the city and wants my family to hunt them with her. But there is no way we’re doing that.”  
“Wow,” April responded. “Sounds, … stressful.”  
“And what angers me most is that her definition of  _monster_  doesn’t extend past appearance,” Kaitlyn ranted.  
“You mean, just because they look different, this Dr. Abigail thinks she has the right to hunt them?” April clarified.  
“Exactly! They could be having a tea party and she’d still be blind to the real monster; herself.”  
April smiled, remembering the time Leo told her he had to have a tea party with a little girl just to get a canister of mutagen from her. “I’m sorry you have to deal with her,” she told Kaitlyn.  
“We won’t have to for long,” Kaitlyn admitted. “My family is finally getting a restraining order.”  
“That’s good,” April said, relieved for her friend. “I wonder what she thinks she’s going to be hunting, though.”  
“I looked it up quickly on my phone after she left. Apparently there’s been a spike in  _Creature Sighting_  reports. Especially by construction workers in the sewer.” Kaitlyn explained. April tensed at the realization that Dr. Abigail Finn was here to hunt the turtle brothers and the other mutants they’ve been fighting. She had to warn her friends.  
“April?”  
“Huh?” April snapped back to focus when she realized Kaitlyn was trying to get her attention.  
“You blanked out for a moment. Everything okay?” Kaitlyn asked.  
“Yeah,” April lied. “Just thinking.”  
“About what?” Kaitlyn wondered. April paused, thinking of an excuse.  
“I was trying to imagine what you went through with that psycho hunting your Uncle.”  
Kaitlyn was silent and April held her breath, praying that she wasn’t caught in her lie.  
“It wasn’t fun,” Kaitlyn finally said.  
  
The day went by at a snail’s pace as April secretly worried. Despite trying not to look anxious, she frequently glanced at the clock and fiddled with her pencils. Thankfully, no one but Casey noticed. “Yo, Red, what’s the deal?” Casey whispered during their final class for the day.  
“The guys are in trouble,” she whispered back, pointing to the floor but indicating the sewers underground. “We have to warn them.”  
“What kinda trouble?”  
“Monster Hunter.”  
Casey’s eyes widened slightly and the pencil he was holding slipped through his fingers, hitting the desk. Now he, too, was worrying about their unique-looking friends. He knew it was best to wait until they were away from their class mates to talk more about their situation, but he was itching to know more. Thankfully, it wasn’t long before the bell sounded, releasing the students from their school day. April and Casey quickly grabbed their bags and made a bee line for the turtles’ lair.  
“Guys!” April called out urgently as she arrived at the entrance, with Casey close behind her.  
“April?” Donnie said, coming out of his lab. “What’s wrong?”  
The other turtle brothers came into the room to greet their human friends, but were instantly aware that there was a problem. April told them what she knew about Abigail Finn and her reasons for being in New York.  
“That  _is_  a problem,” Leo agreed after hearing April’s story. “Especially if she’s going to be snooping in the sewers.”  
“So we just keep a better lookout when we leave the lair,” Raph spoke up. “I don’t see what the big deal is. If people think she’s crazy, then they won’t believe her even if she does see us.”  
“And if she captures us?” Donnie asked with a condescending tone.  
“She won’t,” Raph spat back.  
“And it’s not just us, either,” Leo added. “If she gets a hold on  _any_  of the other mutants, the secret would get out. And it will be a lot harder to stay hidden on the surface with the entire city scared and looking for mutants.”  
“So, what do we do?” Casey asked. “How do we get rid of her?”  
“We could scare her out of the city!” Mikey chimed.  
Raph hit him in the back of the head, “She’s a  _monster hunter,_  doofus. What makes you think we can scare her?”  
“It’s worth a shot,” April spoke up. “We just have to come up with something  _really_  scary.”  
“Or we could drop some mutagen on her and show her a mirror,” Raph suggested with a hint of sarcasm. The others glared at him.  
“That’s a terrible idea, Raph,” Donnie told him.  
“No better than yours,” was Raph’s comeback.  
“Be serious, Raph,” Leo scolded. “We need to come up with a proper plan. We should also tell Master Splinter.”  
“Tell me what?” Their sensei asked as he overheard his sons’ conversation while entering the room. The teens turned to face him before giving him an answer.  
“There’s a monster hunter in New York city,” Leo explained. “And there’s a good chance she’ll be looking in the sewer.”  
“Hmm,” Master Splinter stroked his beard as he pondered this information. “Do you have any ideas to remedy this problem?”  
“We’re gonna scare her out of the city,” Mikey said proudly.  
“We’re going to try to,” Leo corrected.  
“Or at the very least, lure her away from the sewers,” Don added.  
“Actually, Donnie,” April said, eyes lighting up. “Why not take it a step further and  _lure_  her out of the  _city_?”  
“Of course!” Don agreed. “If she’s looking for a monster-”  
“Then we give her one to follow,” Leo finished. “Right out of the city.”  
“In the meantime, I’m going to disguise our entrance. Just in case she finds her way to this area,” Don told them, and then jogged towards his lab. The others stayed back to brainstorm specifics for their plan. Master Splinter nodded, satisfied that his sons and their friends had the situation under control, and returned to his room for meditation.  
  
~*~  
  
“That’s who was at the door this morning?” Kris asked after Kaitlyn mentioned the monster hunter’s visit. “And she had nerve to ask for help.”  
“I know,” Kaitlyn replied. Kris rolled his eyes and huffed out a profanity under his breath.  
“I don’t care how different our Uncle looks,” Kris continued. “He’s no monster. And only Johnny and I are allowed to tease him about his looks.”  
“Awe, how sweet,” Kaitlyn teased as she opened the fridge, looking for a snack.  
“Don’t tell him I said that,” Kris begged, taking out his homework and placing it on the kitchen table. “Oops.”  
“What did you do now?”  
“I may have forgotten an assignment that’s due tomorrow.”  
“Again?” Kaitlyn commented, washing off an apple. “Curious why the teachers don’t absolutely love you.”  
“Shut up,” Kris frowned.  
“I finished all of today’s work in class, so I’ll be in my room talking to Mikey,” Kaitlyn took a bite of her apple and began to walk off.  
“Your internet pan pal? What if he turns out to be some kind of ‘cat fish’?” Kris wondered, half joking.  
“I’m pretty sure they fake romantic relationships, not friendships,” Kaitlyn explained, and added quietly, “it has other names for that.”  
“Okay, so what if he turns out to be an  _actual_  catfish under water? Or something weirder?” Kris joked, giving a small chuckle.  
“You’re such a dork,” Kaitlyn told him with a wave of her hand. Kris continued to chuckle to himself as he began attempting his school work. Kaitlyn went to her room, throwing away the core that remained from the apple when she got there. She opened up her window to let in a cool breeze, and then grabbed her laptop before hopping on the bed. She propped herself up against the backboard of her bed as her computer began to power up. She quietly surfed some other websites while she waited for Mikey to come online. Finally, a small ding was heard through her speakers.  
  
 _Mikey Hamato has come online_


	4. Beginning of the Hunt

_Kitkat Gimm_  - Hey Mike (:  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - hey kitkat. how was today?  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Could have been better.  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Had an unwelcome guest visit this morning  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - the monster hunter?  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - April told you?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - just a bit. hope everything works out  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Thanks. What’s up with you?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - hanging out with my bros  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - You have brothers? How many?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - 3. we’re quads  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Quadruplets? Nice. Identical or fraternal?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - …?  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Do the four of you look exactly the same or different?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - oh. different  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Fraternal then. Cool. How come you haven’t mentioned them before?  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - they didn’t want me to. shh don’t tell  
 _Kitkat Grim_  - That may be a hard secret for me to keep (;  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - lol  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - my bro just asked about the monster hunter’s tech. he’s big on science. know  
                         anything?  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - She uses tracking orbs called sorties. They hover and track movement.  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - She’s also known for using netting and the containment unit in her van for traps.  
                        Hasn’t been successful tho.  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - good to know  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - ??  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - if you’re being hunted i mean  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - … True  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Gotta sign off. Dinner. Talk later.  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - after dinner?  
 _Kitkat Grimm_  - Maybe not. Might be doing something.  
 _Mikey Hamato_  - okay. later.  
  
 _Kitkat Grimm has gone offline_  
  
~*~  
  
After dinner, Kaitlyn went back to her room, but she didn’t sign back onto the social network to talk to Mikey. Instead she did further research on the so called creature sightings in the sewer system. Many were from construction workers who had done work underground. They said creatures such as large, man-like crocodiles and giant, skeletal-squirrel hybrids were seen roaming the sewers. Some of the squirrel creatures were known to attack people. The stories were large in quantity, and their numbers had seemed to increase fairly recently. Reading more reports, Kaitlyn came to a realization. Some of these reports had similarities with Mikey’s stories.  _I doubt Mikey would get this information from April,_  Kaitlyn thought.  _This morning she didn’t even seem to be aware of these reports._  She scrunched her face thoughtfully and glanced around the room, not really looking at or for anything in particular.  _Something is definitely off._  Kaitlyn closed her laptop and hopped off the bed, heading for her closet. She pulled out a red hoodie, black tank top, red boots with a slight combat style, black gloves and black jeggings. She wore everything except the gloves, which she stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie. Walking out into the hall, while making sure no one was around to question her change of clothes, she made her way to the storage room. Once there, she began looking for the Halloween boxes, hoping to find the black mask she wore for the holiday a few years back. Her and her twin brother had gone as some kind of superhero duo with matching masks and outfits. She remembered it involved capes. Not much her style anymore.  
“There it is,” she said aloud as she pulled out the black fabric mask.  
“What are you doing?”  
She jumped and spun around, seeing Kris in the doorway. “Um, … well,” she began.  
Kris raised his eyebrows, knowing his sister was trying to come up with an excuse.  
“It’s none of your business,” Kaitlyn finally said. She began walking towards the door to pass her brother.  
“Is it Uncle Ben’s business?” Kris asked, stopping her in her tracks. She frowned at him. “Where are you going with that mask?” he continued. Kaitlyn began fidgeting, debating what she should tell her brother.  
“I’m going to investigate the creature sightings,” she finally told him.  
Kris blinked and frowned confusedly, “why?”  
“What if there really are creatures down there?” Kaitlyn explained. “They could be totally innocent and that crazy Dr. Finn will be hunting them. I’m not letting that happen.”  
Kris stared at her for a moment. “Alright,” he finally said, walking over to the same Halloween box his sister was rummaging through. “But I’m coming too.” He picked up the second mask and pocketed it. “In case you need back up.”  
The confusion on her face shortly turned into a smile. They may fight more than average, but Kaitlyn could always count on her brother when it was important. They quietly left the apartment, Kris grabbing a pair of navy gloves on the way, and made their way into an alley. Kaitlyn put on her mask and gloves, and lifted up her hood as Kris did the same. He didn’t bother to change clothes, still wearing his dusty blue hoodie, baggy jeans and dark sneakers. Kaitlyn placed a hand on her brother’s shoulder.  
“Ready?” she asked him. “It’ll be quite a drop.” Kris nodded and the two began phasing through the paved ground into the sewer below. They fell to the ground in a crouched position to absorb some of the shock.  
“Ow,” Kris whispered. “Should’a used my flight. You’re lucky you have strong ankles.”  
Kaitlyn smiled at her brother’s joke about her super strength, “well I’ve always been jealous of your shape shifting ability.” She stood to full height and began walking down the tunnel.  
“Really?” Kris stood and followed.  
  
The twins walked for a good half hour and still hadn’t come across any creatures. “The reports were false. Who knew?” Kris said sarcastically.  
“I didn’t totally believe them,” Kaitlyn admitted. “But I was keeping an open mind. We do live with four cosmic beings and accidentally get teleported to the negative zone more often than Reed blows something up, after all.”  
“Mmmm, those  _are_  good points,” Kris agreed.  
“Of course they are. I’m the smart twin.”  
“Ouch. That hurts.”  
“Then do your homework and catch up.”  
Suddenly, Kris was covering Kaitlyn’s mouth. She let out a muffled cry of surprise, but quickly became quiet when she heard footsteps splashing around the corner. Kris wrapped his arms around his sister and flew up towards the ceiling as they heard Abigail Finn talking to her assistant. They saw a few sorties fly off in different directions ahead of the hunter.  
“Why haven’t they found anything!?” Abigail growled. “All those reports. Something has to be here!”  
“We’ve been at this for hours,” Parker whined through the communication device on her shoulder. “I don’t think anything is ‘ere. Y’can’t really rely on reports like that, especially from New York City. There’s always weird stuff going on, but nothing worth hunting.”  
“Shut up, Parker!” Abigail ordered. “Your job is to monitor the sorties, so quit whining and do it!” Abigail continued walking, choosing a tunnel without hesitation. Kaitlyn, remaining silent, pointed after Abigail, indicating to her brother to follow. He nodded and they glided after the monster hunter. They continued to follow for nearly an hour, and Abigail seemed just as frustrated as they felt.  
“Those reports had to come from something!” Abigail growled.  
“Yeah. I think it’s called  _imagination_ ,” Parker retorted. Abigail let out a loud cry of frustration. “Doc!” Parker cried urgently over the comm. “The sortie ahead of you is picking up movement!”  
“Finally!” Abigail cheered, rushing towards the source. Kris and Kaitlyn shared worried glances as they flew after her, struggling to keep up and remain undetected at the same time. A cry of surprise was heard in the distance.  
“The sorties caught one!” Parker rejoiced. Abigail picked up speed, the grin on her face growing larger. But when she rounded the corner, her happy demeanour vanished.  
“No!” she bellowed.  
“What? What is it?” Parker asked urgently. Kris and Kaitlyn made it to the corner and peeked around it. They saw April entangled in one of Abigail’s nets with Casey trying to free her. He had on a bunch of weird looking gear that resembled sports equipment, which included an old-school hockey mask sitting on top of his head.  
“It’s just a couple of kids,” Abigail replied to Parker.  
“Hey! What’s the big idea, lady?!” Casey demanded, pulling the mask down over his face and taking out his hockey stick.  
“Relax. You’re not my hunt,” Abigail told them, releasing April from the net. “What are you doing in the sewer at this time of night anyway?” Abigail squinted as she grew suspicious.  
 _Oh no,_  Kaitlyn thought.  _I know that tone._  
“None of your business,” Casey barked, pointing his stick in Abigail’s face. She promptly grabbed it and pulled Casey in, gripping him by the arm.  
“Hey!” April yelled, charging in. “Let him go!” Abigail grabbed her by her shirt collar. The teens struggled to escape the monstrously large woman, who was beginning to lift them off their feet.  
“What do you know about the monsters hiding in these sewers?” Abigail demanded.  
“You’re … crazy,” April replied.  
“Tell me what you know!” Abigail shrieked. Kaitlyn had seen enough. Letting go of her brother, she fell down on top of Abigail and wrapped her legs around her neck. She quickly removed the monster hunters glasses and leaned backwards, hoping to restrict her airflow just enough to subdue her.  
“Let them go!” Kaitlyn ordered. When Abigail didn’t respond, Kris shifted into the form of a boa constrictor and wrapped around her arms. Abigail’s arms were forced together, causing April and Casey to nearly knock heads.  
“A snake in the sewer!?” Casey cried. “What is going on with this city?”  
“Just stay calm, you two,” Kris told them. They paused for a moment, not saying anything.  
“The snake just talked,” Casey stated.  
“I noticed,” April replied.  
Finally, Abigail’s grip loosened, and Casey and April dropped back to the floor. Abigail began falling backwards, so Kaitlyn released her hold and flipped forward, landing near the other teens. Kris slithered away from the Monster Hunter and returned to his original form, still wearing his mask and hood up.  
“C’mon,” Kaitlyn motioned for Casey and April to follow. They ran past Abigail and made it to the nearest manhole cover, climbing the ladder to the alley above.  
“Dude,” Casey gasped once the manhole cover was returned. “You were a snake.”  
“Yeah. I can do that,” Kris replied nonchalantly.  
“You two need to get home, and avoid that woman at all cost,” Kaitlyn told them. “You’re on her radar now. She thinks you know something that she wants to know, and that is a very dangerous situation to be in. Why were you even down there?”  
“Like I told that psycho, it’s none-“ Casey began, before getting cut off by April.  
“Casey!” April scolded, turning back to the masked teens. “Something stupid. But we won’t be doing it again.”  
“Good,” Kaitlyn said. “Now get home before that behemoth wakes up and sends her sorties after us. And  _forget_  you saw us.”  
Kris began hovering as he grabbed his sister’s hand. They flew off into the sky, heading back home towards the Baxter Building. Casey and April stared after them, awe struck.  
“Casey, let’s go,” April told him rushing out of the alley.  
“I’ll take you home first,” Casey said.  
“But what about you?” You’ll be alone,” April asked.  
“I have more gear to protect myself,” he replied. “I’ll be fine.” They reached April’s house and said a quick goodbye before Casey took off towards his own home. April watched him until he was out of sight, then quickly ran to her room. She pulled out her T-phone and dialled Donnie’s number as fast as her fingers would allow.  
“April?” he answered.  
“Donnie! You are never going to believe what just happened!”


	5. To Set a Trap

“April, slow down!” Donnie begged over the phone. “I can’t understand you.”  
April caught herself and took a few deep breathes to calm herself. Then she started the story over, and explained to Donnie what she and Casey had just experienced on their way home.  
“That is unbelievable,” Donnie said after April finished. “I mean, I  _do_  believe you. But a boy who can turn into a snake? That does seem a bit unusual, even for us.”  
“Not the point, Don,” April reminded him. “The Monster Hunter has seen me and Casey. If she catches us down in the sewer again, she’ll know we’re up to something.”  
“Oh, right,” Don replied.  
“It also means she’s already searching the sewers,” April continued. “You guys need to be careful.”  
“We also need to step up the time table of our plan,” Don added. “I’ll let the others know. You just get some sleep, okay? I’ll call you in the morning to fill you in on anything new.”  
“Okay, Donnie,” April agreed. “Good night.”  
“Good night, April.” Don hung up the phone after April and went to pass on the information to his brothers.  
  
~*~  
  
The next morning April got out of bed early. She hadn’t slept well after spending several hours worrying about what would happen if Abigail Finn found her friends. She got ready for school in record time with almost half an hour before Kaitlyn and Kris came by, and waited for Donnie to call. Fifteen minutes later, her T-phone rang. She snatched it up and answered it before the first ring even ended. “Donnie?” she blurted.  
“Whoa!” he replied. “Hey, April. Were you waiting by your phone for me to call?”  
“Yeah. I needed to know that you guys were okay,” she told him. “I was worrying all night about that hunter finding you.”  
“Oh,” Don said, sounding a little disappointed at the reason given.  
“So, what’s the plan?” April asked.  
“Right!” Don nearly shouted, remembering why he had called. “We’re going to wait until it’s dark, that’s most likely when she’ll hunt, and slip out of the lair with our fake monster stuff.”  
“You guys already made fake monster stuff?” April interrupted.  
“Some stuff. We’ll be making the rest today,” Don answered. “Anyway, while we’re setting up fake clues, you and Casey are going to find the hunter and give her false information.”  
“Won’t Casey and I suddenly being co-operative be a little suspicious?”  
“We thought of a solution for that. You’re going to tell her that you guys are amateur Monster Hunters and didn’t want to give away information to the competition. But now you need help and want to make a deal.”  
“Sounds good. Casey and I will come by after school-“  
“No. Not today. We don’t want to draw any attention too soon. We’ll call you when we’re ready.”  
“Alright. Good luck, Don.”  
“You too, April.”  
  
~*~  
  
April and Casey went back to her place after school to complete their homework while they waited for the call from the turtle brothers. It had already been such a long school day, and April wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the next few hours. So much had been on her mind, like the Monster Hunter and the super powered teens, that she hadn’t been able to focus on school all day. And now she had the same problem with focusing on her homework.  
“Hey, red. What’cha get for question five?” Casey asked, but got no response from April. “April?”  
“Hm? Oh, sorry Casey,” she finally said, snapping back to reality. “What did you want help with?”  
“Question five. For our math homework.”  
April picked up her textbook and read the question, but found herself losing focus again. Her gaze drifted to the window as she watched the sky, hoping it would be dark soon. Casey noticed April’s lack of focus and made a suggestion, “Maybe we should continue this later.”  
Once again, April didn’t respond. Instead she continued to stare out the window with the textbook open in her lap. Casey closed his textbook and put it back in his bag, along with his other supplies. He stretched out and laid flat against her floor where they’d been sitting. With hands placed under his head and legs crossed, Casey decided to take a nap before he and April had to do their part in the plan.  
  
~*~  
  
Casey woke up to a frustrated April shaking him. “Hey, whoa!” he cried out. “What I do?”  
“You fell asleep,” she told him, not pleased. “Donnie just called. We’re on.”  
Casey nodded and grabbed his gear. They snuck out the window, not wanting April’s Aunt to get suspicious about why they were leaving at this time of night. They entered the sewer at the nearest access. Wading through the tunnels slowly, they began to search for Dr. Abigail Finn. Their T-phones were on 2-way communication mode, so the gang could talk freely back and forth, like walky-talkies, while they were engaged in their mission. April kept Donnie up to speed with their progress of finding the hunter and where they were located in the sewer tunnels.  
Then, April and Casey heard splashing footsteps. They flattened themselves against a wall as Casey pulled down his mask. They inched towards the corner to peer around and see who it was. As the splashes got closer, the teens realized there were two sets of footprints. They shared a look of confusion as they silently wondered who would be with the Monster Hunter. They continued to the corner, but just as they got there, the footsteps stopped. April quickly peeked around the corner. No one was there. She stepped out a little, trying to get a better look and see if anyone was hiding. Casey got closer behind her, attempting a glance over her shoulder. But just as he did so, a pair of gloved hands phased through the wall behind him and grabbed his shoulder.  
“Aaagh!” he jumped into the air and spun around quickly with his hockey stick above his head. April sped around to see what Casey was screaming about and saw an upside down boy drop into her view.  
“Hey there,” the boy greeted, as April let out a startled shriek. Meanwhile, Casey stared in bewilderment as the masked girl from last night phased out of the wall.  
“You again,” April said, recognizing the masked teens.  
“I was gonna say the same thing,” the masked boy retorted, floating down to ground level and spinning to face right side up.  
“I thought you said you wouldn’t be back down here?” the masked girl asked, slightly irritated.  
“Not my exact words,” April mumbled.  
The girl frowned. “You. Shouldn’t. Be here,” she nearly growled, stepping closer to April.  
“Look,” Casey interjected, nudging the girl’s shoulder. “We know what we’re doing.”  
Just then the girl flicked her fingers and Casey’s feet flew out from under him as he splashed down onto his back. The boy chuckled, and Casey thought it sounded familiar.  
“Clearly,” the girl commented.  
“W-whoa!” Casey stammered. “How’d you do that?”  
“Telekinesis.”  
“What?”  
“She can move stuff with her mind,” April explained.  
“Cool,” Casey said, as he got back to his feet.  
April turned back to the girl, “By the way, we  _have_  a plan.” She scowled. “And tripping my friend with your brain power doesn’t prove otherwise.”  
“Is your  _’plan’_  to get caught by the Monster Hunter?” the masked boy asked. “Because if so, you’re on the right path. Literally. The hunter’s right down there.” He pointed in the direction where April and Casey were headed.  
“Not to get hunted,” April replied. “But we  _were_  looking for her. So, thanks for the help.” April turned and began walking down the path that the boy indicated. “C’mon, Casey.” Casey began to follow, giving a mock farewell wave before he turned. The girl phased into the ground, and then back up in front of April, as the boy flew over them and landed beside the girl.  
“Are you trying to get yourselves killed?” she barked.  
“No!” April cried. “We’re trying to get her out of the city.”  
The girl leaned back slightly, surprised by her response. “Why?” She squinted her eyes in confusion.  
“None. Of your. Business,” Casey stated.  
The girl paused a moment to think, “We want her out of the city too. But you two are going to get yourselves hurt. Or worse.”  
“We’re already behind schedule,” April sighed. “We have to get to her now.”  
“We’re not letting you go,” the girl told them. “Not alone.”  
“Fine,” April hastily agreed, getting frustrated. “Just don’t let her see you.”  
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” the boy mumbled, meaning what he said. The girl wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he floated towards the ceiling, keeping out of sight as they watched the other teens protectively.  
  
~*~  
  
Casey and April finally found the Hunter, with the masked teens still flying above. April held back for a moment, so she could give Don the location. The masked girl noticed, but was unable to hear what was said. April and Casey turned the corner, immediately alerting the hunter of their presence. “You!” Abigail bellowed, stomping towards the teens.  
“Peace!” Casey shouted, raising his hands in surrender.  
April rolled her eyes, “We want to help.”  
Abigail Finn stopped in front of the teens and gave them a suspicious glare. “What are you two up to?” she growled.  
“Nothing,” April lied. “Last night, we didn’t realize you were  _the_  Dr. Abigail Finn. You see, we’re monster hunters too. Amateur hunters, I mean. We thought you were just another hunter and we didn’t want to give any information away to the competition. We were hoping you could help us. Or we could help you! It would be an honour to learn from you.” April was playing her ego, hoping it was what the Doctor ordered. Dr. Abigail Finn arced an eye brow and the teens held their breath. “Amateur monster hunters, hm?” Abigail said, considering what she had been told. “Fantastic!” She threw her hands into the air, and wrapped them around April’s and Casey’s shoulders. “It’s good to see young people getting into the art of monster hunting,” Abigail added. “Now, if we’re going to be hunting together, you need to tell me what you know.”  
“Not much more than you do, probably,” April told her. “We read there were monsters down here and that some of them have been seen on the surface as well, nearby the forests.”  
“Interesting,” Abigail commented.  
Then they heard a loud roar. “The monster!” she cheered. “Quickly, children! This way!” The three of them ran through the tunnels towards the source of the sound. A few turns later, and they came across trashed walls and a series of damaged sorties.  
“My sorties. They’re useless now,” Abigail whined. “Well, at least this means we’re headed on the right track.”  
“Whoa, check out the claw marks,” Casey noted. Abigail went over to where the kids were looking. Along the tunnel walls were several sets of claw marks. And they seemed to be going somewhere.  
“We have something to follow!” Abigail shouted as she ran down the tunnel, with April and Casey behind her.  
  
Kris and Kaitlyn were still flying above the others, and were currently wondering if Casey and April were luring the hunter into a trap, or if they really were hunting the monster with her. They heard another roar, this time quiet but close by. Kaitlyn had had enough. She indicated for her brother to fly ahead, and just before the hunter turned the corner, they dropped down in front of her.  
“The hunt stops now,” Kaitlyn bellowed. April frantically shook her head at the masked girl. Kaitlyn ignored her. She thrust out her hand towards Abigail, using her telekinesis to send her into the nearest wall with great force. Abigail became disoriented, and would stay down, but not for long. The teens heard scratching sounds coming from nearby, and Kaitlyn ran towards them, hoping to get the creature to safety.  
“Wait!” April cried after her, but it was no use. The other teens ran after the masked girl. As Kaitlyn got closer to the scratching, she began to hear other people talking, and hoped they weren’t more hunters.  
“Dudes, she’s coming!” said one of the voices. Kaitlyn rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. Standing before her were four anthropomorphic turtles, with multi-coloured masks and ancient-styled ninja weapons. And they were staring back at her.


	6. Explanations

Kaitlyn was surprised. She wasn’t expecting there to be four of them, or that they would appear more human than creature.  
“Is that the hunter?” the orange banded turtle asked as the other three teens rounded the corner. Kris let out a small exclamation of surprise when he saw the turtles. Kaitlyn frowned at the question the turtle had just asked. “No,” she told him. “We’re not monster hunters.  _She’s_  a couple corners back. You need to get out of here before she catches up.”  
“This is all part of the plan,” April told the masked girl. “The plan which you almost ruined, by the way.”  
“I thought you and Casey were  _actually_  helping her.”  
“Never! They’re our friends,” April cried.  
“Um. How do you know my name?” Casey interrupted.  
“A-… she said it earlier,” Kaitlyn told him, pointing to April. “The Monster Hunter will be coming soon. We have to act now. Who was making that roaring noise?” she turned back to the turtles as she asked the question.  
“That would be this device,” the purple banded turtle said proudly, holding up what looked like a mangled radio attached to a megaphone. Kaitlyn noticed all four turtles had unusual equipment. The red banded turtle was wearing gloves with several knives protruding from them. The blue turtle was carrying two large, fake monster feet. And the orange turtle held a bag of dark fur.  
“You’re making a fake monster for her to hunt,” Kaitlyn realised. The teens turned suddenly, hearing heavy splashing in the distance. “She’s coming,” Kaitlyn warned, turning back to the turtles. “We’ll slow her down enough for you to get some distance.” The turtles nodded, and the red banded turtle gave one last scratch at the wall before they ran off.  
“Quickly explain the exact plan,” Kaitlyn asked April.  
“They’re going to make a trail for the hunter to follow that leads to the lake near the woods. Casey and I are going to convince her that the monster swam out of the city and that she should follow,” April explained.  
“Good plan,” Kaitlyn commented.  
“She’s almost here,” Kris spoke up.  
“You and Casey need to attack us,” She instructed.  
“What? Why!?” April asked.  
“You’re hunting the monster. We’re trying to stop you. What else would we be doing?”  
“Good point. Sorry in advance.”  
Kaitlyn nodded and the four teens began their mock battle. The Monster Hunter turned the corner, seeing the claw marks and the little bit of fur floating in the water. “Which way did the monster go!?” Abigail demanded.  
“Around that corner!” April told her, pointing the way.  
“No!” Kaitlyn blurted, pushing April against the wall as gently as she could, without it looking fake. She raised her hand and telekinetically shoved Abigail back a few steps. She growled and took the net gun off her back, aiming it at Kris.  
“I got ‘im, Abby!” Casey called out, and whispering under his breath, “sorry, man.” Kris braced himself as Casey swung his hockey stick, knocking Kris to the side. He stayed down, pretending to be unconscious. Not an easy thing to do in sewer water. April kicked Kaitlyn away, and Abigail fired the gun at her. The netting surrounded Kaitlyn and she fell to her knees. She struggled, pretending that she couldn’t phase out. Abigail wouldn’t be suspicious, since she hadn’t seen Kaitlyn use her intangibility.  
“Good work, future monster hunters,” Abigail cheered. “Now quickly, after the monster!” Abigail, April and Casey ran off in the direction the turtles had gone. The twins waited a moment before ending their act. Kris stood up, spitting and rubbing his face.  
“Gross,” he whined, as Kaitlyn phased out of the net. “Glad they left. Don’t think I could’ve stayed lying in that water much longer.”  
“C’mon. We have to follow to make sure the plan works,” Kaitlyn told her brother as they, too, ran off.  
  
~*~  
  
Abigail and the two teens followed the monster’s trail. She was oblivious to how obvious it was, blinded by her insanity and obsession. They continued to chase the clues, until they seemed to vanish.  
“No!” Abigail wailed. “It can’t be gone! I was so close.”  
“Wait. I think it went up,” April said, pointing to the marks on the wall. The scratch marks had stopped, and been replaced by holes. There were also smudge marks on the walls that looked like foot prints. Both led up towards an open manhole cover.  
“Of course! Excellent work!” Abigail told them, climbing towards the surface. Once up top, they realized they were now in a more quiet part of the city; less likely to run into someone on the street here than the rest of New York.  
“The trail is faint,” Abigail told them. “But it leads to the woods. It’s trying to lose us.” She bolted towards the forested area. The monster trail and damage picked up again once they were among the trees. Casey and April struggled to stay close behind the hunter as she followed the trail to the water’s edge. She stopped, kneeling down to pick up the fur that was floating in the water. She looked puzzled as she glanced from the fur to the rest of her surroundings.  
“The footprints lead into the water,” Casey noted. Abigail looked down and realized the boy was right. She traced the prints with her fingers.  
“The monster must be swimming out of the city,” April suggested, pretending to seem disappointed.  
“Of course,” Abigail mumbled. “Adapt to survive.” She stood and barked at her lackey, Parker, to bring the van around. “Would the two of you like to continue the hunt outside the city?” she asked the teens as Parker pulled around with her vehicle.  
“Wish we could,” Casey lied. “But, um… we can’t.” Abigail arced an eyebrow, becoming suspicious of the teens’ behaviour again.  
“Our parents don’t support our monster hunting,” April covered. “So they’d never let us leave the city on a hunt.  I’m afraid our trail ends here. Good luck, though.”  
“I understand,” Abigail nodded and shook April’s and Casey’s hands. “Perhaps we’ll see each other again someday. Farewell, children.” She turned and quickly got into the passenger side of the van, yelling at Parker to go. The van sped off around the body of water and out of the city. April and Casey let out a sigh once the Monster Hunter van was out of sight. They turned around and saw the turtles came out of hiding, smiling wide.  
“Yeah, we did it!” They all cheered as they high fived and high threed each other. Then they paused, noticing that the masked teens had caught up to them again.  
“So,” Kris said, finally breaking the silence that had come over the group. “I wasn’t expecting there to be actual creatures.” Kaitlyn elbowed her brother at the term he used.  
“They’re not  _creatures_ ,” April defended. “They just happen to … look different.”  
“Believe me, we can understand that,” Kaitlyn replied. She walked over to the group, Kris following behind as Kaitlyn continued. “I also understand now why you wanted to get her out of the city.”  
“Well understand this,” Raph began, walking up to the masked teens and trying to be intimidating. “You can’t tell  _anyone_  about us.”  
“Of course we understand that. We promise we won’t …” Kaitlyn trailed off as she got a good look at Raph. A confused look fell across his face. He wondered if it was some kind of delayed response and she was just now registering his appearance.  
*“It’s you,” she finally spoke again, whispering softly as her eyes widened. “I recognize your eyes.”  
Raph became even more confused, so she lowered her hood and took off her mask. This startled her brother, as well as April and Casey who recognized her instantly.  
“Kaitlyn!?” April cried.  
“Whoa,” Casey commented. “Didn’t see that coming.” They both looked over at the other masked teen, coming to the realization that it must be Kris. He took off his hood and mask as well, giving a short, nervous laugh at being discovered. Until now, their family in the Baxter Building were the only ones to know about their powers. Kaitlyn had ignored everything around her, simply stunned that she had discovered who Raph was.  
“Ten years ago,” Kaitlyn began to explain. “You were the one who saved a little girl by pulling her under a bridge to shelter her from the cold. Do you remember?” Raph’s eyes widened as the memory came back to him. Kris’s jaw dropped as he listened.  
“That was me who you saved,” Kaitlyn told Raph. “I never forgot your eyes.” She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “And now I can finally thank you properly.”  
Raph blushed, too stunned to hug back. How was it possible, after ten years and all chances against them, that they would meet again?  
“Hey, no fair!” Mikey interrupted. “I’m her pen pal. She should be hugging me!”  
“Mikey?” Kaitlyn asked, releasing her hug on Raph.  
“Yeah!” Mikey held out his arms, ready to receive a hug. “I knew we’d get to meet someday!”  
Kaitlyn smirked. Mikey seemed to be the exact same in real life as he appeared to be online. “Yeah, Mikey,” Kaitlyn agreed. “But I was expecting you to be in California.” She gave him a hug as he blushed and returned it, knowing he’d have some explaining to do.  
He let out a nervous laugh, “Sorry ‘bout that. Kinda had to make some stuff up. For obvious reasons.” Leo and Don had been stunned into silence by the events transpiring, not really knowing how to respond. April however, just as confused, knew exactly what she was going to do.  
“Hold it!” she cried out, causing Kaitlyn to release her hug on Mikey as she and everyone else looked at April. “I have just a few questions before the hugs continue. One: how do you and Kris have powers? Two: why are you both acting as if this is normal?”  
“Little insulting,” Don interrupted.  
April continued, “Sorry. And three: you and Raph have met before? What!?”  
“I’m not the only one who has some explaining to do, April,” Kaitlyn told her friend with a cheeky smile.  
“I know,” April agreed. “But you first.”  
Kaitlyn looked to her brother, who only offered a shrug and a slight shake of his head. She turned back to April and began to answer her questions.  
“About ten years ago, Raph and his father saved me from freezing to death and brought me back home to my Grandfather.”  
“Not your parents?” Leo asked.  
“They had died almost a year before,” Kris explained.  
“Oh,” Leo looked to the ground, feeling guilty for bringing up what must be a difficult memory.  
Kaitlyn continued, “As you know, my brother and I have been living with our Uncle and the Fantastic Four. We have not had a single  _normal_  day since. We’ve had to deal with attempted kidnappings or shape shifting aliens or the Frightful Four. Giant turtles are actually pretty mellow for us.”  
“That sounds awesome!” Mikey exclaimed.  
“Most times it’s just annoying,” Kris corrected.  
“What about your powers?” Don asked.  
“Kris and I are mutants,” Kaitlyn revealed. “Class C mutants, to be exact.”  
“What!?” the others cried, nearly in unison.  
“How? And what do you mean  _’class C mutants’_?” Don inquired.  
“There are three different classes of mutants,” Kaitlyn explained. “The most common is Class A. They’re naturally evolved mutants; born with what’s called the x-gene. When they reach puppetry, their mutation awakens, and gives them special abilities, sometimes changing their appearance as well. Class B mutants are born as what society deems normal and are later mutated by external forces, like radiation or chemicals. And Class C mutants, the most rare of the classes, are born mutants, but are absent of the x-gene. This usually occurs when a pregnant woman experiences a mutation factor, but instead of affecting her, it affects her unborn child.”  
“That’s. So. Cool!” Mikey cheered, pumping his fists in the air. “We’re class B mutants! Right, Don?” Don nodded, placing his thumb and finger under his chin, and gaining a thoughtful expression.  
“I don’t understand how there’s a classification system, though. I didn’t think there was … I mean, who would …” Don trailed off as he tried to make sense of it.  
“Mutants make up nearly half of Earth’s population. Class A mutants made up the classes when they realized we didn’t all have the x-gene,” Kaitlyn specified.  
“So,” April spoke up. “I’m a Class C mutant too.”  
Kaitlyn’s eyes lit up. “Really?” she asked, walking up to her friend. “What’s your mutation?”  
“It’s more like a sixth sense. I can’t really control it,” April explained. “What about you and Kris?”  
“We each have three powers. I have super strength, intangibility and telekinesis.”  
“And I have flight, shape shifting and mind reading,” Kris told them.  
“Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting this to happen tonight,” Leo commented. Kaitlyn smiled over at Raph, who was still speechless at finding out who Kaitlyn was and hearing her story.  
“Man! We got rid of a monster hunter, and made two, new, mutant friends!” Mikey said excitedly, wrapping his arms around Kris’s and Kaitlyn’s shoulders. “This is the best day ever!”


	7. Tales from the Heart

The group of teens headed back to the turtles’ lair, except for the twins. They had to get back home before their Uncle discovered their absence. “That was so cool!” Mikey cheered, as he flipped into the lair. “I’m borrowing your laptop, Donnie! Kitkat said she might try to get online before bed.”  
“Were you successful, my sons?” Splinter asked them as he entered the room.  
“We were, sensei,” Leo told him with a bow.  
“And we made some new friends!” Mikey added excitedly.  
“You did what?” The disappointment was evident in their Master’s voice. They knew he didn’t approve of them revealing themselves to humans, even if they were trying to help, like they had with April.  
“It’s okay, sensei. They’re mutants, like April,” Mikey told him.  
“Even so, Michelangelo, you allowed yourselves to be seen,” Master Splinter said.  
“We were kind of preoccupied with the Monster Hunter,” Leo explained. “And they got mixed up in the middle of it.”  
Master Splinter stroked his beard, “And who exactly are these new friends.”  
“Kaitlyn and Kris Grimm,” Donnie answered.  
“Hm. From the news months ago.”  
“And apparently you and Raph saved Kaitlyn ten years ago,” April spoke up.  
Master Splinter’s eyes grew wide as he instantly stopped stroking his beard, “How…?”  
“She remembered…,” Raph said, finally finding his voice since Kaitlyn’s hug. “She remembered my eyes.” He still seemed shocked at the reaction she had given him, which was the exact opposite to what they normally received, and he looked a little lost in his thoughts.  
“She was just a child then, as were you,” Splinter told them. “I did not think she would remember.”  
“Well, you did save her life. That’s a pretty big thing to forget,” April mentioned.  
“True,” Master Splinter agreed, placing his hands behind him. “But you still need to be more careful. If the wrong people were to see you, my sons, it would be disastrous.”  
“Hai, Sensei,” the turtle brothers said in unison.  
“Casey and I better head back home,” April told them.  
“Yeah,” Casey added. “Our folks’ll be wondering where we are.”  
“See you tomorrow?” Don asked, hopeful.  
“Sure thing, Don,” April agreed.  
“Later, Raph,” Casey said, giving a wave. The red banded turtle returned the wave, but remained quiet.  
“You okay, Raph?” Leo asked after April and Casey had left, noticing his brother’s unusual silence.  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Raph said, shrugging off his brother’s concern. “Just … tired.” He headed towards his room to retire for the night. Don shared a worried glance with Leo, for he, too, noticed his brother’s strange behaviour. They silently agreed to wait until morning to see if Raph’s original attitude returned.  
  
The next morning arrived, and Leo and Don all but held their breath as they waited for Raph to come out of his room. Mikey was preparing breakfast, still seemingly oblivious to the situation. When he turned to set the food on the table, however, he noticed his brothers intently staring at where Raph would come in. “What are you guys staring at?” he asked, setting down breakfast.  
“We’re waiting for Raph. Want to make sure he’s okay,” Leo explained, not looking away.  
“Why wouldn’t he be okay?”  
“You didn’t notice him acting out of sorts yesterday?” Don said, returning Mikey’s question with another.  
“You mean him being spacey and quiet?” Mikey began eating the scrambled eggs he’d made. Don and Leo shared a look; a little surprised Mikey had noticed, but more so puzzled at why he didn’t say anything.  
“Yeah,” Don confirmed Mikey’s statement. “We didn’t think you actually noticed.”  
“Course I noticed, bro. I just don’t see the big deal,” Mikey told them. “I mean, you got all spacey and quiet when we first made friends with April, Don.”  
“Yeah, but that’s because he has a crush on her,” Leo reminded them.  
“Exactly,” Mikey said. Don’s and Leo’s expressions dropped in sudden shock and realization at what Mikey was trying to tell them.  
“Are you saying … you think Raph has a crush on Kitkat?” Don asked, jaw remaining open. Leo continued to look just as stunned.  
“Yup,” Mikey replied, finishing off his breakfast. Don and Leo continued to stare at Mikey, confused at how he had come to that conclusion when they hadn’t.  
“T-that can’t be it. Raph wouldn’t … I mean he … would he?” Leo tried, and failed, to find the right words for his question.  
“I don’t know. Maybe,” Don replied, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin and seemingly understanding of Leo’s babbling.  
Mikey continued to explain his reasoning, “She hugged him, told him she remembered his eyes, and she’s a mutant who didn’t freak out when she first saw us.” Don and Leo paused to think about Mikey’s points.  
“It does make a little sense with how Raph’s acting,” Don agreed.  
“But this is Raph. He’s always on your shell about liking April because he doesn’t think it will happen,” Leo reminded them. “He probably thinks the same thing about himself and Kitkat.”  
“That just means he won’t try anything and he’ll hide it from everyone. We can’t help who we develop crushes on,” Don explained. The three brothers then went quiet as Raph entered the room. At first look he seemed to be back to his normal mood.  
“What’s for breakfast?” he asked gruffly, approaching the table.  
“Scrambled eggs, toast and orange juice,” Mikey answered in his usual cheerful tone. Raph got a plate and began to eat, as Don and Leo began eating what they had in front of them as well, all while subtly keeping an eye on Raph.  
“So, today’s the first day Kitkat gets to come over and see our lair,” Mikey announced. Raph flinched ever so slightly and noticeably tried to keep his head down, acting as though the news had no effect on him. “Looking forward to it, Raph?” Mikey asked.  
Raph paused from eating his breakfast to glare at Mikey suspiciously. “Whatever,” he finally said. “Just another human in the lair.”  
“But Kitkat’s  _not_  human,” Mikey corrected.  
“She looks like a human and was raised as a human. Close enough,” Raph grumbled, continuing to eat. A sad look fell over Don’s features as he realized Raph was doing the same thing to himself that he had tried to do to him; taking away all hope of being with his crush.  
  
~*~  
  
Dr. Abigail Finn and her assistant had been driving for nearly 24 hours straight. Night fall had arrived not too long ago, but Abigail refused to stop.  
“C’mon, boss,” Parker said with a yawn from the passenger seat. “You can’t keep driving without sleep.”  
“You mean you can’t,” she shot back. “I am perfectly adept at functioning with minimal rest. We need to keep tracking that monster. I won’t lose him.”  
“We probably already did. The monster went through the water while we have to go around it. We’ve already lost time.”  
“All the more reason to keep going!”  
“Oy,” Parker sighed.  
“Make yourself useful, Parker, and check the usual sites for monster sightings. Let’s see if it’s made it to land.”  
Parker took out the laptop and began looking for anything that matched what they were after and where it was estimated to show up. After an hour of searching, Parker broke the news. “Nothing, boss. Like it just disappeared.”  
“Impossible!” Abigail bellowed. “Based on the foot prints and claws marks, it was huge! Too huge to just vanish.”  
“I did see there was another creature sighting in New York earlier tonight,” Parker said, trying to lift her mood.  
“What?” Confusion played on her face as she kept driving. “Perhaps there’s more than one creature living in New York. Maybe an entire clan.”  
Parker noticed the fur Dr. Abigail had collected from the night before and picked it up to examine it. “Uh, boss?” Parker began, coming to an interesting conclusion. “This fur is fake.”  
Abigail slammed on the brakes.  
Parker jerked forward, dropping the fake fur and nearly the laptop with it.  
“Careful!” he bellowed. “You’re lucky no one else is driving in this area.”  
“What do you mean the fur is fake?” Abigail asked, anger seeping through her question.  
“Just that,” he answered. “It’s not real. Made from that plastic-like stuff they use in costumes.”  
“Those blasted kids!” Abigail screamed. “They set me up! Played me like a fool! Created a fake monster to run me out of town and keep the real hunt for themselves!” She paused, putting her head on the steering wheel. Parker debated about saying something to try cheering her up, until she sat back up again and continued talking. “Though, I have to say it was a brilliant strategy; using their smarts to get rid of the greater competition. And obviously, it was executed to their success, in the beginning at least.”  
“I’m just surprised you didn’t notice when you picked it up,” Parker mumbled, referring to the fake fur.  
“Shut it, Parker!” she barked back. She started driving again and took the van into an immediate U-turn, heading back towards the city as fast as she could.  
“You’re letting yourself get blinded again. Going into tunnel vision mode,” Parker told her. “It’s the Ben Grimm situation all over again.”  
“This is nothing like that, Parker!”  
Parker frowned and turned to face the road ahead of them. He was worried, but not for his boss. He was worried about them getting in trouble again. But it seemed that he wouldn’t be able to convince her of her problem tonight. Instead, he would have to keep a closer eye on her actions and be the voice of reason if she tries to go off blindly hunting again. Parker sighed as he decided to get some sleep to prepare for when he would have to take the wheel, since he guessed they would be driving non-stop again and he knew Abigail couldn’t go that long without sleep, despite her claims.  
  
~*~  
  
Kris, Kaitlyn, Casey and April had arrived at the turtles’ lair several hours ago. The Grimm twins were introduced to Master Splinter and he was slightly confused, yet pleased, by their lack of surprise at his appearance. He offered to give them ninja lessons, like he did with April, nut they respectively declined, telling him they already had training sessions with friends of their Uncle. Mikey was most excited when they arrived and couldn’t wait to give them a tour. He showed them the living room, the kitchen the Dojo, Donnie’s lab, with his permission and the promise to touch nothing, and all bedrooms but Raph’s. The tour only took about fifteen minutes and afterwards the group sat down in the living room to watch TV and talk. They told the twins about Shredder and the Foot clan, as well as other enemies of theirs. Kris and Kaitlyn did the same, telling the others about the villains who battle the Fantastic Four and always attempt to kidnap the teens for leverage. It never worked, since the villains always underestimate them.  
“Um, how exactly did you two become mutants?” Don asked, after finally building up the courage to do so. “If you don’t mind me asking.”  
The twins paused and shared a look before Kaitlyn began their story, “When our mother was pregnant, she was kidnapped by some mental patient who used to be a scientist. He did experiments on her, but we don’t really know exactly what happened. We just know that Kris and I developed powers a couple years ago, and the experiments are most likely the cause.”  
“What happened to your parents?” Mikey asked. Leo elbowed his arm and he let out a cry.  
“It’s okay, Leo. Our mother died before we turned four when her health deteriorated because of the experiments.  And our father became really depressed after …” Kaitlyn trailed off, becoming very solemn and biting her lip to prevent any tears that dared stain her cheeks.  
“Our father killed himself one month after we turned four,” Kris finished for his sister.  
The group remained silent, drinking in the sadness of the tale that was revealed to them. Don turned the story over in his mind, contemplating which consoling words would be best for the situation.  
“We’re really sorry to hear that,” Don said, finally agreeing on something and speaking on his and the others’ behalf.  
“Yeah. We were lucky enough to have Master Splinter as a dad,” Mikey added, as Leo elbowed him again. “Quit it!”  
Kaitlyn giggled at the youngest turtle. He was definitely an interesting character, but Kaitlyn could tell he would be a good friend.  
“Thanks, guys,” she said. “I’m glad we met.”


	8. Forced from Home

40 Hours Later  
  
“Oh, not you guys too,” Irma whined as the Grimm twins began sneaking off with April and Casey to meet up with the turtles.  
“I’m sorry?” Kaitlyn responded.  
“First April kept sneaking off, then Casey, and now you two,” Irma clarified, pointing to the twins. “When do I get to meet these secret friends?”  
“What secret friends?” Kris asked, raising his hands in defense.  
“Yeah. Sure. Play dumb,” Irma said.  
“Oh, trust me. He’s not playing,” Kaitlyn told her. Kris gave his sister a light nudge and her smile grew.  
“Sorry, Irma,” April said. “We’ll try to catch up with you later.” The four teens slipped away before Irma could protest any further and went in search of a secure area where they could descend into the sewers. Irma sighed and headed home, once again alone. Casey, April and the Grimm twins walked down the street, keeping an eye out for a manhole that wasn’t in a busy area. But as they were looking, a large figure leaped out of a nearby alley and into their path. “There you are,” it growled. The teens stepped back in shock as they realized who it was.  
“Dr. Finn?” April cried.  
“Indeed,” she replied. “Weren’t expecting to see me back so soon, eh?”  
“Not really,” Casey muttered.  
“Did … you catch the monster already?” April asked, trying to keep their cover intact.  
“We both know I didn’t,” Abigail snarled. “My assistant discovered that fur we found was fake!” The teens took on fearful expressions at being caught in their lie by a crazy woman. Abigail continued, “You and your little friends set all this up to get me out of the city, so you could hunt the monster yourselves. Were you on your way to the sewers now? Possibly setting some traps before nightfall?”  The teens were momentarily speechless.  
“No,” Kaitlyn spoke up. “We were heading home.” She frowned at the hunter. Abigail looked over and noticed it was the Grimm twins. “Haven’t you received our restraining order yet?” Kaitlyn asked, glaring harder at the large woman.  
“Restraining order?” Abigail repeated. Kaitlyn pulled out the copy from her pocket and handed it to the hunter. “You’re not allowed to come within 100 yards of us, or the Fantastic Four.”  
Abigail read the paper. “Hmmm. Then forgive my ignorance,” she snarled. “I will take my leave, but I won’t be giving up my hunt.” She turned and stormed off. The teens waited until she disappeared around the corner before ducking into the alley Abigail had previously emerged from. They snuck down the manhole as quickly as they could and rushed over to the turtles’ lair.  
“Hey, guys!” Mikey greeted as the four teens arrived. “What’s the rush?” The other turtles looked up to greet their friends as well.  
“We have a new problem,” April told them.  
“More like a repeating problem,” Kaitlyn corrected.  
Don’s eyes widened, “Please don’t tell me it’s –“  
“Abigail Finn,” Kaitlyn announced. The turtle brothers groaned in unison.  
“How did she figure it out?” Leo asked.  
“Apparently, you guys used fake fur,” Kaitlyn answered, irritation evident in her voice.  
“Oooh,” the brothers moaned, shifting nervously.  
“I didn’t think she’d notice,” Don said. “It was the best we could do on short notice.”  
“It was actually her assistant who noticed,” April told them.  
“Yeah, he seems a bit more stable than she is,” Kaitlyn added.  
“So, what do we do now?” Mikey asked.  
“We know she’ll be searching the sewers,” Casey stated. “It’s only a matter of time before she stumbles on your lair.”  
“She won’t know it’s here,” Don assured them. “I whipped up some holographic projectors to disguise the entrance.”  
“Her sorties will see right through that, Don,” Kaitlyn sighed. “She will find this place.”  
“Then I’ll just build something else,” Don countered.  
“There’s no time,” April said.  
“Then it would seem it is no longer safe to stay here,” Master Splinter spoke calmly as he fully entered the room.  
“But … where will we go?” Leo asked solemnly. The mutant family lowered their heads in sadness at the thought of having to leave their home.  
“This is our home, sensei,” Don told him. “Has been for 15 years.”  
“No, Donatello,” Master Splinter said, placing a hand on his sons shoulder. “Home is with family, wherever we may be.”  
The room grew quiet for a long moment. “You could stay with us at the Baxter Building,” Kaitlyn finally spoke up. “The Fantastic Four went on a mission this morning and won’t be coming home for at least a week.”  
“They left you alone?” Casey asked. “What about the super villains who are always trying to kidnap you?”  
“The Baxter Building has the best self defense system in the world and our Uncle asked some of his super hero friends to make sure we stay safe,” Kaitlyn assured them. “Plus Alicia will be checking in daily, but she’s blind like Mr. Murakami.”  
“Not to mention we have a restraining order against Dr. Finn,” Kris added. “She can’t legally come near our building.”  
“We accept the offer,” Master Splinter told the twins before turning back to his sons. “Pack what you need. We leave as soon as we can.” The turtle brothers went to their rooms. Don packed some tech, spare parts, a couple vials of mutagen and the picture of April in a heart decorated frame he kept on his desk. He also took pencils, pens and blue print paper. Leo took mainly spare weapons and throwing stars, along with some DVDs and memorabilia of his favourite show, Space Heroes. Raph packed spare weapons as well, of a different variety to what Leo was taking, and some of his favourite magazines. Mikey grabbed some pairs of underwear he had grown fond of wearing and as many of his comic books as he could. He also stopped by the freezer to transfer ice cream kitty to a portable cooler. Master Splinter only packed a couple spare robes, a few sets of chop sticks, and carried along his staff. Finally, the family stopped by the bathroom to grab their toothbrushes and returned to the living room to re-join the other waiting teens.  
  
The group snuck up to the surface and because it was still day light, they had to be extra cautious. They got to the rooftops as quickly as they could, but even that was no guarantee of staying hidden from prying eyes. They made their way to the Baxter Building and returned to ground level.  
“Now what?” Raph growled. “Walk right through the front door and let everyone in the building see us?”  
“There’s a private elevator in back, grumpy,” Kaitlyn told him with a teasing tone. She understood he was upset at being forced from his home. She could only imagine exactly how upset he was. She continued, “My family and I use it to sneak into our penthouse when we really want to avoid the paparazzi.” She led them to a back entrance that opened right to the elevator. It was very large, as it had to carry Kaitlyn’s Uncle, the Thing, and was able to fit everyone inside. They rode it to the top after Kaitlyn punched in the code required.  
“Here we are,” she said, stepping into the penthouse and spreading her arms in a display motion. The others looked around, impressed.  
“This is where you two live!?” Casey gawked. “Why have we not hung out here before?”  
April elbowed Casey, and he let out a small grunt.  
“Welcome home!” A peppy voice exclaimed. Everyone but Kris and Kaitlyn shot into defense mode at the unexpected greeting.  
“You said no one would be here!” Leo panicked.  
“Relax, everyone,” Kaitlyn told them, holding up her hands. “That’s just H.E.R.B.I.E., Reed’s A.I. computer system that runs the penthouse.”  
“A.I.?” Mikey asked.  
“Artificial intelligence,” Donnie clarified. “He’s a robot.”  
“You mean like the Kraangdroids!?” Mikey blurted.  
“No, Mikey. This is different,” Don said.  
“For one, he’s not an evil alien from another dimension,” Raph added.  
“Can he see us?” Leo asked.  
“Yes, but he doesn’t record anything inside the house unless an alarm is triggered or he’s otherwise told to,” Kaitlyn said, before bringing her voice down to a whisper. “And I can easily erase any memory files involving you guys from his hard drive after you leave. He won’t remember ever meeting you.”  
“Who are your friends, Miss Kaitlyn?” the peppy voice spoke again. “And why do some of them have strange appearances like Mr. Grimm? Speaking of Mr. Grimm! Does he know you have friends over?”  
“He’ll be fine with it, Herb. This is Master Splinter and his four sons; Leo, Raph, Don and Mikey. They’ll be staying here for a bit for safety. And this is April and Casey from school,” Kaitlyn introduced.  
The others hesitantly greeted the computer.  
“All right,” H.E.R.B.I.E. said, a slight un-sureness in his tone. “Just don’t get into any trouble. And no going into Dr. Richards’ lab. I don’t want him getting mad at me.”  
“Lab?” Don repeated, perking up.  
“My Uncle’s best friend, Dr. Reed Richards, has a lab upstairs. We’re not allowed in without supervision,” Kaitlyn explained.  
“You live with a doctor? Who has a lab?” Don continued, getting more excited.  
“He’s a professor type Doctor. Dubbed the smartest man in the world,” Kaitlyn told them. “His lab can be very dangerous if you’re not careful. We’ve already had plenty of mishaps. I can give you a tour of the rest of the place, though.” The Grimm twins’ friends got excited, as none of them had ever seen a penthouse before, especially one belonging to celebrities. Despite being only one floor, excluding the upper level dedicated to the lab alone, there were a lot of rooms. Even the tech on this level was impressive, and Don couldn’t begin to imagine what Dr. Richards kept in his lab.  
Kaitlyn showed them the living room, which had a large couch that wrapped around one side of the room in front of the large television. Several framed photos sat on the mantle above the TV that showed off the family that occupied the penthouse. There was even a picture that showed the young twins with their parents, when they were still alive. They continued down the hall to the dining room and kitchen. Both were very large, and the fridge was easily twice the size of the one the turtles had. There were large windows that made up most of the walls and made the mutant family nervous. Kaitlyn assured them that the building was so high no one could see into the room, but turned on the windows’ full opacity to ease her friends. Don was impressed that the windows could be programmed to do that. Next, they went past all the bathrooms and bedrooms. There was a total of nine bedrooms; one for each member of the Fantastic Four family and three guest rooms.  
“The other bedrooms are off limits while our family is away, so you five will have to share the three guest rooms,” Kaitlyn told them.  
“Your hospitality has been generous enough. My boys are more than capable of sharing,” Master Splinter assured her. Master Splinter took one room and the turtle brothers split themselves between the remaining two; Raph with Donnie and Leo with Mikey. They left their bags in their new, temporary rooms, and Mikey quickly ran back to the kitchen to put Ice Cream Kitty in the freezer since he had forgotten to do so before. Kaitlyn continued the tour, showing her friends the Fantastic Four’s workout room. It had various settings for different types of work outs and was also strictly off limits without adult supervision. She showed them the elevator that led up to Reed’s lab even though they couldn’t use it. It was even locked to prevent any curious teen from riding up and exploring the lab. Finally, Kaitlyn showed them the dangerous artefacts room. She told them how it made Susan, another close friend and member of the Four, nervous, especially since Kaitlyn and Kris moved in. This room was off limits, period, and had the highest security of the entire building.  
“Definitely avoid this room,” Kaitlyn told them.  
“Indeed we shall,” Master Splinter agreed. “Right, boys?” The turtle brothers nodded quickly with bright smiles.  
Kaitlyn continued, “Well that’s it for the tour. Who’s up for a homework session?”  
“But we don’t do homework,” Mikey stated before Raph smacked him.  
“We’ll keep them company while  _they_  do  _theirs_ ,” he said.  
“Oh, right,” Mikey realized as he and the other teens headed to the living room.


	9. Problem Solving

“Miss Kaitlyn,” H.E.R.B.I.E. called softly, trying to wake her gently. “Miss Kaitlyn.”  
She finally stirred into a semi-conscious state, and glanced at the clock. “Herb, it’s barely eight o’clock on Saturday. Why are you waking me up?” she asked, still groggy.  
“Your green friends are in the kitchen,” H.E.R.B.I.E. told her. “I think they’re attempting to make breakfast, but it’s getting messy … and stressful!” Kaitlyn leaped out of bed and went straight for the kitchen. When she got there she saw Mikey making what she guessed was pancake batter and getting a lot of it on the floor during the stirring process. Raph was using his sai to make freshly squeezed orange juice, but the majority of it was dripping onto the counter instead of getting in the cup. Leo was attempting to make toast and was burning every last piece. Not to mention some of them had fallen to the floor by his feet. Don was frying up some eggs and bacon in two separate pans and was having some trouble keeping both of them under control at the same time. Just as he accidentally broke one of the egg yolks in the pan, the burner that the bacon was on caught fire. Don screamed and instinctively threw his hands in the air, forgetting to let go of the pan. The partially cooked eggs went flying through the air and hit Raph in the back of the head. Leo flailed his arms in panic, accidentally knocking over the toaster and cracking its frame. Mikey jumped at the sudden flames on the stove and spilled half of the batter on the floor and on his feet. When he tried to back away from the stove, Mikey slipped on the batter, falling on his shell and sending the bowl he was holding with the last remaining amount of batter into the air, only to have it come back down and land on his head. Raph was still screaming from the burning hot eggs on the back of his head, as Don looked for a lid he could use to smother the fire.  
But before he could locate one, H.E.R.B.I.E. intervened, “Fire protocol initiated.” A nozzle came down from the ceiling and shot white foam at the stove burner, putting out the flame. It then turned and did the same to Raph’s head, cooling down the egg. Mikey sat up, lifted the bowl enough to see what had happened and began laughing at Raph, who instantly lunged at his younger brother and put him in a headlock.  
Kaitlyn stared, dumbfounded, at the situation before her. Leo and Donnie finally noticed her standing there in her light blue, cloud pyjamas and attempted to talk their way out of their mess.  
“Kitkat! You’re awake!” Leo exclaimed in shock.  
“Don’t mind the mess! We’ll clean everything,” Don promised quickly.  
“Of course,” Leo agreed.  
“We were just trying to make you breakfast to thank you for letting us stay here,” Mikey explained, still in Raph’s headlock. “Please don’t throw us out.”  
Finally getting over the slight shock at what had just happened, Kaitlyn let out a small laugh. “I’m not going to throw you out,” she told them. “It was a nice thought. But next time, let H.E.R.B.I.E. make breakfast,” she gestured to the ceiling as a series of robotic arms came down from above. Some were holding rags and other cleaning supplies. H.E.R.B.I.E. began cleaning up the kitchen and even washed the mess off Raph and Mikey, causing Raph to release his hold on Mikey.  
“That is so cool,” Don marveled.  
“Just tell him what you want and he’ll make it for you,” Kaitlyn continued.  
Kris and Master Splinter entered the kitchen just as H.E.R.B.I.E. was finishing. Kris was still in his sleep wear, like his sister, and had on a sleeveless white shirt and red boxer shorts one size too large.  
“What was that racket I heard?” Master Splinter asked.  
“We were trying to make breakfast,” Raph explained. Master Splinter looked over to H.E.R.B.I.E.’s robotic limbs that were now preparing food in a clean kitchen.  
“It sounded like you were making quite the mess,” Splinter stated, confused.  
“We did,” Mikey said. “But H.E.R.B.I.E. cleaned it up.”  
“We offered to help,” Leo added. “But he had it under control and clean in no time.”  
“Hmm,” Master Splinter said, stroking his beard. “Then perhaps, next time, you should ask before utilizing someone else’s kitchen.”  
“Hai, Sensei,” the boys said in unison. Kris rubbed his eyes, clearly not a morning person. “Do I smell burnt bacon?” he asked.  
“Yeah. I set it on fire. Accidentally,” Donnie confessed.  
“Heh. Good thing we have that Anti-fire system,” Kris commented.  
“You mean that foam that your robot attacked me with?” Raph growled.  
“I wasn’t attacking you!” H.E.R.B.I.E. cried sadly, clearly upset that his actions were being misread in such negativity. “I was trying to prevent the hot egg from burning you!”  
“Well, you could have given me a little warning!”  
“I thought I did,” H.E.R.B.I.E. whined quietly.  
“I’m really sorry about that, Raph,” Kaitlyn apologized. “He meant well.”  
Raph’s frown slowly lifted and his fists unclenched. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he told her.  
This surprised Leo and Don, who had never seen Raph let go of his anger so quickly. Kaitlyn smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“Well then,” Master Splinter interrupted. “What is our plan for the rest of the day?”  
“I wanna check out their DVD collection!” Mikey exclaimed.  
“I was hoping to examine some of their tech,” Don requested. “Not from the lab, obviously. Although it would be really cool if I could.”  
“I was wondering if there is any way I could use the workout room to train?” Leo asked.  
“Enough!” Master Splinter demanded. “We are not on vacation. These accommodations are only temporary and we need to come up with a more permanent solution.”  
“Eggs?” H.E.R.B.I.E. offered loudly, holding a plate in front of Master Splinter, who politely declined. The turtle boys snickered at the robot’s strange behaviour.  
Master Splinter continued, “So! I suggest you boys work on problem solving.”  
“Hai, Sensei,” the turtle brothers once again said in unison.  
“But there’s no harm in having a little breakfast first,” Kaitlyn told them, gesturing to the now fully set table, filled with a large variety of breakfast food.  
  
After breakfast, the brothers helped with the dishes to make up for the mess from earlier. Then they called April and Casey to invite them over for a problem solving brain storm.  
“Alright,” Donnie began. “What went wrong with our first plan?”  
“Mikey,” Raph mumbled.  
“Hey!” Mikey cried in protest.  
“Not exactly, Raph, but you do have a point,” Don agreed.  
“What?” Mikey blurted as Raph smirked.  
“It was the fake fur Mikey was leaving behind,” Don clarified. “I didn’t think she would keep any for further examination.”  
“So, it’s your fault,” Raph said.  
“Maybe we should stop pointing fingers and assigning blame,” Leo suggested, sounding more like an order. “The plan didn’t work because we were rushed and got sloppy.”  
“We need to brainstorm more ideas. And this time come up with contingency plans for if anything goes wrong,” Don told them, setting up his easel and paper.  
“And knowing us, something probably will,” Raph commented. Leo shot him a quick glare, but Raph simply shrugged it off.  
“My shape shifting could come in handy,” Kris suggested, raising his hand instinctively as if in his classroom.  
“Yes, it definitely could,” Don agreed, writing down a note.  
“What if the problem was trying to get her to leave willingly?” Kaitlyn wondered. “What if we tried getting her  _kicked_  out of the city? That way she couldn’t come back even if she wanted to.”  
“But how do we turn an entire city against one psycho?” Casey asked.  
“I don’t think New York cares about her kind of crazy enough for banishment,” April said with a sigh. “But she is a very proud woman, who cares a lot about her reputation. If we tarnish it enough, she may never want to show her face here again.” April smiled wide, feeling good about the way the brainstorm was going.  
“It seems like we keep circling back to the same idea; getting her to leave on her own accord,” Donnie realized. “We need to force her out of town and get rid of any possibility of her returning.”  
April’s expression dropped; a little upset that Don shot down her idea. He noticed her change in mood and realized exactly what he had said. He began to apologize, “Sorry, April. I didn’t mean to …”  
“It’s okay, Donnie. I understand,” she assured him, giving a light smile.  
The group continued to come up with ideas for several hours, but every time they thought they were getting close, someone would point out a flaw that could break the mission. The teens were getting restless and losing hope. Numerous crumpled sheets of note paper littered the floor at Donnie’s feet. He was currently staring at the blank sheet on his easel with the closed marker fidgeting between his teeth as he continued to think.  
“This is hopeless,” Raph mumbled, as he lied on the floor staring at the ceiling. Kaitlyn stood and went over to where Rah was lying, leaning into his line of sight.  
“We can’t afford to think like that, Raphie boy,” she told him, before standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips. She gave him a playful smile. Mikey began to snicker at what Kaitlyn had called his brother, and Raph sat up on his elbows to shoot him a glare.  
“Can we at least take a break?” April asked. “We’ve been at this for hours.”  
“I’m sure Master Splinter wouldn’t mind if we took a movie break,” Kaitlyn said.  
“But we have nothing to show from our hours long brainstorm if he asks about it,” Don said with a sigh.  
“Sure we do,” Kaitlyn told him, pointing to the floor at his feet. “We have all our failed ideas.”  
“And what good do those do?” Don asked.  
“With every failure, we get closer to success,” Kaitlyn said with a smile. She gave Don a friendly tap on his bicep before moving to the wall beside the TV. “H.E.R.B.I.E., open the DVD library, please,” she requested. The wall slid out and up to reveal a couple shelves of movies behind it. Mikey leapt off the couch and was beside Kaitlyn in seconds. “Whoa … so many!”  
“There’s more in back,” Kaitlyn explained. “The shelves rotate.”  
Mikey’s jaw dropped as the shelves began shifting to reveal more DVDs.  
“Impressive,” Don commented, referring to the technology.  
“Any movie requests?” Kaitlyn asked.  
“Do you have any Space Heroes?” Leo asked, hopeful.  
“No!” Raph barked, standing up and taking a far seat on the couch.  
“Sorry, Leo. We don’t,” Kaitlyn told him.  
Leo shrugged, smile fading slightly. After a few moments the gang finally decided on a movie; a typical action/adventure flick. Kaitlyn popped the disc into the player and took a seat beside Raph. He looked over to her as he thought that she leaned into him slightly. But he quickly pushed that ridiculous thought aside, as just his imagination playing tricks on him.  
  
~*~  
  
Master Splinter walked in a couple hours later to check on the teens and saw the crumpled papers lying beneath Don’s easel, the television rolling the credits of some movie, and his sons and their friends sleeping on the large couch. Raph was on the far right, with Kaitlyn leaning up against him, arms crossed over her stomach. Her legs were resting over Mikey’s thighs, who sat beside her. His head rested on April’s shoulder as she gently leaned against Donnie’s arm. Leo sat on the other side of Don and was leaning over on the couch’s far left side, one leg hanging from the couch with the other resting slightly against Don’s thigh. Kris was flopped out on his stomach on the small section of the couch that jutted out on the right side of Raph, and Casey, who had been sitting between Mikey and Kaitlyn, was now sleeping on the floor in front of Raph’s feet. Master Splinter smiled at the scene before him and turned off the television, leaving the kids to rest.


	10. According to Plan

2 Days Later  
  
“Is everyone in position?” Leo asked the team over their T-phone Comm. system.  
All eight teens were paired off and separated, getting ready to perform the plan they had been putting together for a couple days. Between movies, meals and a bit of goofing off, the teens had finally managed to come up with a suitable and supposedly fool proof plan.  
“Orange and red are putting it to bed,” Mikey answered their leader with a giggle. A solid smack to the back of Mikey’s head could be heard over the T-phone comm. system following Mikey’s comment.  
“We’re good to go over here, Leo,” Raph came across the comm., being Mikey’s partner for the mission. “We made this part of the sewer look like something  _big’s_  been sleeping here.”  
“Excellent,” Leo told him. “April? Casey?”  
“We are in position, and waiting on standby,” April confirmed.  
“I’m all set to go, too, Leo,” Kaitlyn came on the comm. before Leo could ask.  
“Same here,” Kris added. “Staying out of sight until I’m up.”  
“Perfect,” Leo said. “Don and I have the stuff, and are heading over to Raph and Mikey now. We’ll let you know when we get there.”  
  
~*~  
  
April and Casey had done a sweep of the sewer earlier looking for the Monster Hunter, but all they were able to find was a few of her traps. They decided these would do just as well to lure her to where they wanted, and waited for Leo’s signal. When he announced over the comm. that they could proceed, Casey tripped one of the silent alarms on the trap. They waited for a moment until they could hear loud footprints splashing in the distance, but quickly getting closer. The two teens swiftly moved around the corner heading in the opposite direction, their own splashing footprints hidden by the sound of the approaching hunter. They kept their distance from where they knew the hunter would be, but remained within earshot. The splashing stopped, and the teens heard Dr. Finn mumble something, unable to make out exactly what she’d said. April turned to Casey, the question of “are you ready” playing in her eyes. Casey nodded, and April prayed that the hunter would react the way they predicted.  
“I can’t believe you got us lost!” April said loudly, pretending to be mad at Casey.  
“We’re not lost!” he said back, adding to the act. “I’m telling you, something big has been sleeping down here, just a few tunnels this way. It has to be the monster.”  
April sighed, taking out her T-phone. She used the screen’s reflective surface to check what was behind them, while pretending to look at information stored on her phone. She saw Abigail Finn peaking around the corner, watching them. April couldn’t help the quick smile that passed over her lips as she pocketed her phone and winked at Casey, letting him know the plan was working.  
“Alright, Jones. But you better be right,” she told him, beginning to walk down another tunnel. The teens led the hunter through the sewer tunnels until they reached the area Raph and Mikey had set up, keeping in mind just how far behind the hunter was. The fake sleeping area consisted of leaves and grass, taken from the forest above, placed messily along one of the dryer sewer ledges. There was a large imprint in the center, as if something had lied down in it and flattened the organic matter. There were also partially eaten apples and a few crushed berries strewn around the sewer floor.  
April nodded up to the turtle brothers who were hiding among the shadows on the ceiling, using shuko spikes to stick to the walls. They nodded back before Leo and Don leaded down. Don quickly raised the device he held and hit a button, resulting in a deafening roar. April screamed as Casey called out to her, all part of the plan. Leo made a few, quick claw marks along the walls before rushing off towards Kris. April sat against one of the sewer walls, Casey coming by her side, as Abigail turned the corner to see. April began to shake from fake trauma as Casey held her shoulders.  
“Foolish children. This is why you don’t get involved in hunts too big for you to handle,” Abigail scoffed.  
“It’s too big for you, too,” Casey shot back. “Just walk away, Finn.”  
Another loud roar was heard in the distance. “I never abandon a hunt!” she cried, charging after the noise. When she was out of sight April and Casey stood, dropping their act. Raph and Mikey dropped down beside them as April once again took out her T-phone.  
“The hunter is in pursuit, as planned,” she told Leo over the comm.  
“Great,” Leo responded. “You four follow behind as backup, but not too close. We don’t want to blow our cover.”  
“Got it.”  
The four teens ran off, following Leo’s instruction.  
  
Abigail Finn ran after the continuous roars of the monster and the trail of claw incisions it left in the wall. She held her multipurpose hunting gun at the ready. The monster was fast and she was having trouble staying a close distance behind it. Abigail brought up her map, that she had been making the past couple days while searching the sewer to ensure she had covered the entire area. She smiled deviously when she confirmed her déjà vu and realized that this tunnel the monster was leading her through came to a dead end. She had him.  
  
Leo and Don kept their pace, making certain the hunter could still follow, but giving them enough space to do what they needed to.  
“Kris, we’re coming up on you. Do you have the right form?” Leo asked him through the comm.  
“Monster-fied and ready to go,” Kris replied.  
“Roger that,” Leo said.  
“You did not just say that,” Don sighed, as he let off another roar from his device.  
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to say. Like a movie hero,” Leo explained. Don rolled his eyes with a smile, finding his older brother’s obsession with being a hero amusing. They continued down the curving tunnel a few moments longer. They turned the final corner and came face to face with the monster Don had designed for the plan, knowing it was Kris. He looked almost like a giant, furry alligator. He stood on his stubby, hind legs, hunched over as his long, muscular arms hung in front of him. Long claws protruded from his fingers, similar to what a male red eared slider turtle would have. He had a double set of horns on his head, one right behind the other, not too large, but enough to be seen. Bore-like ears drooped by the side of his face and beady, black eyes looked to the world around him. His mouth hung slightly open, hints of the multiple, sharp teeth it held. His nose could not be seen through the thick green fur that covered his entire body, only becoming thin on his chest and stomach. Finally, a large tail dragged behind him.  
Leo nodded to Kris before he had Donnie leaped up into the shadows on the ceiling to hide. Kris turned to the dead end wall and began furiously scratching it as he waited for the hunter to catch up. It wasn’t long before Abigail splashed around the corner and took in the sight before her. Kris turned and let out a deafening roar, raising his arms in the air. Abigail, realizing her gun was on a setting too weak for a monster this size, lowered her weapon to adjust it. She barely managed to duck and roll to one side to avoid Kris’s attack, as he slammed his claws into the ground where she had been standing. He yanked them out and brought them back around towards the hunter in a sweeping motion. This time he managed to knock the gun from her hand. Parker had heard the commotion earlier over their comm. and sent out back up sorties that were just arriving now. They circled Kris and he smashed a few into the sewer walls. Abigail stumbled after her gun while he was busy. She spun around with her weapon, firing off a large object that dug into two upper corners of the tunnel. It dropped down, unravelling to reveal a net wall that would tangle the monster if he tried to get away. One of the sorties sent a burst of electricity into Kris’s back, too fast to get smacked down first. Kris arced in pain, making sure he still kept enough focus to not lose his monster form, and spun around to stab his claws through the sorties’ center. He struck it against the wall, shattering it to pieces. Abigail then turned to the monster and joined the other three sorties in shocking the creature. Kris flailed his arms about, letting out numerous roars. Some of his random flailing managed to knock a few of the other sorties out of the air, but Abigail was still standing and easily avoiding his panicked thrashing. She moved around to his other side, putting him between herself and the net wall. She continued to use the electric shocks to send him closer to the netting. It began to work as Kris inched back towards the net. He howled with every shock, and was starting to lose energy. His chest rose and fell with heavy breathing and he reached out for something he could use to balance himself. He grabbed onto the netting, and tried to use it to steady his footing, but the laches keeping the net attached to the wall released as soon as Kris put pressure on them. He began to fall as the net wrapped around him, trapping his arms against his chest and side. He hit the ground with a grunt and immediately tried to squirm his way free. Abigail approached him, aiming the gun point blank at his chest. Kris stopped moving, pretending he had just lost consciousness. The slow rise and fall of his breathing the only evidence he was still alive. Abigail was finally able to grab her breath and admire the creature she had bested.  
“Marvellous,” she muttered, wide eyed. Just then she realized that Parker had been trying to get her to respond, probably for the entire take down of the monster.  
“Boss! Are you there?” he called out.  
“Yes! Sorry, Parker, I’m here,” she replied.  
“What happened? All I had was audio.”  
“I did it, Parker! I caught the creature! Send down some sorties to bring it to the van. Lots of them,” she lowered her weapon, and continued to admire the creature. This was quite the marvel of nature, and she had been lucky enough to capture it, so that she could share it with the world. Her mind brought up some memories of when she had been laughed at for believing such creatures could exist. Her theories had been shoved aside, seen only as ramblings of a mad person. And soon no one would even take her appointments once her reputation among the scientific community began to precede her. She had become an annoyance that no one wanted to deal with. But now that would all change. She would get the last laugh as she called out all those scientists who refused to believe her and show them just how wrong they were.  
“You’re the solution to all my problems,” she told the monster, with an overly giddy tone. “Finally, I’ll be able to silence their laughter.”


	11. The Real Monster of New York

Abigail Finn had been kept awake all night due to her excitement. She walked to the van, giving a yawn and a stretch, and tapped the door at the back. When she heard the soft growl of the monster being kept inside she nodded to herself, satisfied that she was ready to begin the press conference. She hopped into the driver seat, with Parker beside her, and headed to the location where she had told the reporters to be. She arrived early enough to set up her podium.  
Finally, reporters slowly began to arrive. They were in no rush, being aware of her reputation as well, and had only been set over by their chiefs because a story’s a story, even if it’s one about a psycho doctor. They set up their cameras and prepared their microphones, all while holding annoyance and boredom in their expressions. When they appeared ready, Abigail Finn approached her stand.  
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “I would like to thank you for joining me today as I reveal this creature to the world. I realize my last visit to New York didn’t end quite like I had wanted, nor expected, but I promise you this is the real monster of New York City.”  
“She’s the one who kidnapped my brother!”  
The cameras and reporters turned to the source of the scream. They saw Kaitlyn, with tear stained cheeks, standing in front of three police officers. One of the officers placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort while the other two stepped up to the podium where Abigail stood.  
“What is the meaning of this, officer? I have done nothing wrong and that  _girl_  is interrupting my press conference,” Abigail told them, giving Kaitlyn a glare.  
“May we have a look in your van, please?” one officer asked, but only really as a courtesy.  
“Of course. I have nothing to hide,” Abigail opened the back of the van doors as she continued making her announcement to the reporters. “Allow me to present the sewer dweller of New York City!”  
As soon as the doors were opened wide enough to give the reporters a good view, they gasped and took on looks of disgust.  
“Kristopher!” Kaitlyn cried out, rushing up to the van. Abigail, now completely confused, turned to see what the fuss was. She saw the Grimm boy, tied at the wrists and ankles, and wearing a cloth gag, sitting in the back of her van. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. She quickly scanned the rest of the vehicle, not believing what she saw. She spun towards Kaitlyn, fury raging through her expression, and grabbed her by her shirt collar.  
“What did you do with my monster!” she bellowed. The police forced her away. It took all three of them to subdue her. Kaitlyn turned to her brother and gave him a wink before continuing her crying routine.  
“You’re the only monster in this city!” Kaitlyn sobbed loudly.  
The three police officers cuffed Abigail while pinning her to the hood of the police cruiser. When they finally got her in the backseat, after much resistance, one of the officers went for her assistant and another helped Kris out of the back of the van. The reporters were swarming now; half around the twins and the rest around the cop car Abigail was sitting in. Two of the officers tried to keep the reporters away from the twins while the third shoved Parker into the back seat with Abigail. The reporters’ questions flew at her, despite their being a barrier of glass between them.  
“What do you have against the Grimm family?”  
“Are you trying to use them to get to the Fantastic Four?”  
“Is this finally the end of your monster hunting career?”  
Abigail turned away from the reporters, and instead kept staring at the floor of the cruiser. The third officer went over to aid his brothers in blue in keeping the reporters from the twins. They led them to a second car to take them home. Kaitlyn had been holding onto Kris’s arm since he’d been released from the van, and she continued to do so until they got home. The Grimm twins thanked the officers. They offered to stay and watch the twins in case there were any more attempts, whether it was by an unknown associate of Dr. Finn or someone else. The twins assured them that they would be safe in the penthouse with its security features and that their Uncle would be home in the next day or two. The officers nodded their satisfaction and gave their “good day” as they left.  
As soon as the officers were in the elevator, Casey, April and the mutant family came into the room.  
“We did it!” Mikey cheered, jumping up and down. “For real this time.” He suddenly stopped as he came to a sad realization. “Awe, this means we can go back home. I was really starting to like living in a penthouse.”  
“You guys are welcome to stay one more night,” Kaitlyn offered.  
“Woo!” Mikey shouted as he pumped his fists into the air.  
“Thank you, Kaitlyn,” Splinter spoke. “You have a great amount of kindness. But it would be best for me and my sons to return to the sewer.”  
The turtle brothers moaned. They wanted to stay in the luxurious apartment for as long as they could. Splinter continued, “We’ll leave at dark. You may relax for the rest of the day.”  
The teens smiled brightly before running off to enjoy their fun. At least they would have a few more hours to enjoy their temporary accommodations.  
  
~*~  
  
The setting sun came and went all too quickly. The hours of that afternoon had breezed by while the teens played games with each other. But now Master Splinter had approached to inform his sons it was time to leave.  
“Before you go,” Kaitlyn began. “Can you at least stay to watch the evening news cover Kris’s kidnapping?”  
Master Splinter thought for a moment, stroking his beard. Kaitlyn held the remote, pointed at the TV, as she watched him and waited for his response.  
“I don’t see why not,” he answered. The group returned to the couch as Kaitlyn found the right channel.  
“Abigail Finn has once again found herself in trouble in New York city,” the female reporter was saying when the channel was finally found. “And once again relating to the Grimm family. For those who aren’t aware, two years ago Dr. Abigail Finn got into an altercation with the famous super hero family known as the Fantastic Four. Believing the member known as the Thing to be a monster, the Doctor tried to hunt and capture him. Since then she hasn’t returned to our fair city, until this week.” Footage from the morning’s events began to play as the reporter continued, “This time Dr. Finn kidnapped the Thing’s nephew, and tried to claim he was ‘the real monster of New York’, like she had done with his Uncle years before. Although last time her actions were written off as a misunderstanding and no charges were pressed by the Fantastic Four, bless their kind hearts, this time she’s had to answer to the law. Being as kidnapping a minor, and a famous, well-loved one at that, is a serious offense, Dr. Abigail Finn and her assistant, Parker, are facing twenty years in prison, and it’s unlikely that they’ll be staying in New York when they get out. This is Alison Monroe for the channel six nightly news.”  
The teens erupted in cheers.  
“Alright! No more crazy doctors!” Raph cried.  
“She definitely won’t be snooping around our sewer anymore,” Leo added.  
A mass of high fives was shared throughout the group, until Master Splinter reluctantly ended the celebration short.  
“It is time for us to go home, my sons,” he told them. The turtle brothers nodded, still a little upset that their fun in the penthouse had to end. The group made their way to the elevator that went to the back entrance and said their goodbyes. April and Casey were heading home as well, since their guardians might soon begin to worry.  
“You’re welcome to visit anytime,” Kaitlyn said.  
“I’ll hold you to that,” Mikey joked, but fully hoping that they could someday come back and hang out in the penthouse. The teens waved good bye and parted ways. Kris and Kaitlyn, being exhausted from the fun and excitement of their day, decided to go to bed, and Kaitlyn couldn’t help but wonder what other adventures they would have in the near future.  
But that wasn’t the only thought on her mind. Memories of when Raph and Master Splinter had saved her from the cold, and the realization that she had paid back that debt by saving their family from a fate just as bad, played through her head. She smiled at the pleasant thoughts before drifting to sleep; her green eyed hero being fresh on her mind.


	12. Epilogue

April was lying in her bed, finally nodding off to sleep, when she heard a soft knock at her window. Her eyes fluttered slightly at the noise, but she brushed it off as a bird or a trick of her imagination. She rolled onto her back and tried again to fall into a deep sleep. The knocking came again; a little louder this time. Now April knew it was something real, and at her window trying to get her attention. She sat up lazily, keeping her eyes closed until the last minute. She turned to her window to see who, or what, it was. She was losing the battle to keep her eyes open and blinked slowly. Finally she was able to register that it was Donnie outside her window, waving apologetically. She couldn’t help but turn up the corners of her lips in a small smile as she tossed the sheets aside to get up and let the turtle in.  
“Sorry to wake you,” he whispered. “I couldn’t wait to show you something.”  
“You couldn’t at least let me get a few hours of sleep?” April asked.  
“Sorry,” he apologized again. “It’s just … it’s better at night, anyway.” He placed a hand on the back of his neck and rubbed it sheepishly.  
April crossed her arms, “Alright. Let’s see it.”  
Donnie’s smile grew large and he reached into the small bag April just noticed he was carrying. He pulled out a small sphere that was speckled with pin sized holes. “This is for you,” he told her as he twisted it barely an inch to activate it. Suddenly the room was alive with light. The pin sized holes in the sphere projected an image of the sky as it would be seen in the country, away from city lights and buildings. All over the walls of April’s bedroom shone constellations and far off galaxies. Even a shooting star could be seen after a moment or two. April’s eyes lit up nearly as bright as the holographic sky around her. She drank in its beauty as it reminded her of a time when she was young. Her parents owned a small farmhouse in the country side where April and her mother would spend many nights stargazing. It was the best memory she had of her mother before she disappeared.  
“It’s beautiful,” April said softly after a long moment of speechlessness.  
Don let out the breath he had started holding when April didn’t say anything at first, “I was hoping you’d like it,”  
“I love it.” April wrapped her arm around Don’s and rested her head against his shoulder as the two continued to admire the beauty of the universe.  
  
End


End file.
